LandScan Global Population Database, 2000-2017

This collection comprises 18 annual editions of the LandScan Global Population Database, covering population reference years 2000 through 2017, developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Defense. Each edition is a raster dataset in ArcGRID format containing population counts at 30 arc-second resolution (approximately 1 km) for a given year. LandScan integrates daytime movements and collective travel habits into a single ambient population measure — an average over 24 hours — representing where people are located during an average day rather than solely at night. The LandScan algorithm uses GIS and remote sensing technologies with a multi-variable dasymetric modeling approach to disaggregate census counts within administrative boundaries. LandScan is the community standard for global population distribution at fine resolution, supporting quick assessment, estimation, and visualization of populations-at-risk.