Critical error detected in Earth population data

Finnish researchers have discovered a critical problem in global datasets on Earth's population. It turns out that the number of rural residents is significantly underestimated, which can lead to errors in resource allocation and infrastructure planning.

Specialists have for the first time presented extensive evidence that a significant portion of the world's rural population simply "disappears" from official statistics. To verify the accuracy of the five most popular global databases, scientists applied an unconventional method: they analyzed data on the relocation of rural residents during the construction of 300 dams in 35 countries from 1975 to 2010.

"We were surprised to find that the actual number of people living in rural areas is significantly higher than official data shows," noted Josias Lang-Ritter, a research fellow at Aalto University. According to him, the research results are alarming because these databases are used in thousands of scientific papers and serve as the basis for political decisions, but their accuracy has not previously been subjected to systematic verification.

The study showed that population censuses, which are the main source of information for global databases, are often incomplete, especially in developing countries. Many states lack resources to collect information in hard-to-reach rural areas where the population is scattered across large territories.

The problem is systemic: significant discrepancies were found in data for China, Brazil, Australia, Poland, and Colombia. Despite some improvement in accuracy in recent decades, errors in statistics remain relevant.

It is estimated that about 43% of the world's population lives in rural areas. Undercounting hundreds of millions of people can lead to serious distortions in the global decision-making process. The study authors call for a revision of data collection methodology and more attention to accounting for rural populations.

The quality of statistical data remains a problem not only for developing countries. For example, the Russian population census has also been criticized. Independent demographer Alexei Raksha has repeatedly stated that serious errors and falsifications distort the real indicators of the country's population size and composition.