Data sources
Sourced country metrics.
Compare Countries uses Natural Earth for country boundaries and public statistical datasets for country-level metrics such as GDP, population, land area, energy, resources, agriculture, emissions, health, and development indicators.
Map boundaries
Country and territory outlines are derived from Natural Earth 1:50m Admin 0 geometry. Natural Earth is used as a geographic visualization base and is not used as a source of current economic, resource, energy, health, or demographic statistics.
Statistical sources
The metric catalog uses sources such as the World Bank World Development Indicators, FAOSTAT Crops and Livestock Products, U.S. Energy Information Administration International Energy Statistics, United Nations World Population Prospects, and U.S. Geological Survey mineral datasets.
Because sources update on different schedules, the most recent comparable reference year can vary by metric. Some countries and territories may have no observation for a selected metric, especially for specialized resource and production indicators.
| Source | Used for | Review note |
|---|---|---|
| Natural Earth | Country and territory boundaries | Geometry for visualization; not a legal statement about sovereignty or borders. |
| World Development Indicators | GDP, population, density, health, development, water and selected economic indicators | Broad coverage, but individual indicators can have different reference years and metadata notes. |
| U.S. Energy Information Administration | Oil, gas, electricity generation and energy-system metrics | Useful for energy comparisons; source definitions should be checked when comparing production, consumption and generation. |
| FAOSTAT | Agriculture production and land-use indicators | Agriculture data can be revised and may use commodity-specific reporting definitions. |
| United Nations World Population Prospects | Population estimates and demographic indicators where included | Population series are estimates and projections, not real-time census counts. |
| U.S. Geological Survey | Mineral production and reserve indicators | Production, reserves and resources are different concepts and should not be treated as interchangeable. |
Metric transparency
The app displays source, reference year, and coverage information where available. Additive metrics such as GDP, population, production, and emissions can be compared as totals. Rate and index metrics such as GDP per capita, population density, life expectancy, and percentage indicators are shown with color gradients because summing them would be misleading.
The source mix also explains why the map should be read as a collection of metric-specific snapshots rather than one universal census date. Economic, demographic, energy, agricultural and mineral series are released on different schedules. A switch between metrics can therefore change both the subject and the reference year.
Corrections
If you notice a metric that appears outdated, missing, mislabeled or incorrectly attributed, contact contact@compare-countries.com. Include the metric, country, displayed value, reference year and supporting source link where possible. Confirmed corrections are applied to the underlying catalog so the map and dependent public tables update together.