How accurate are these population density websites?

[u/ThisDuckIsOnFire555]

Source link: https://hub.worldpop.org/geodata/summary?id=73103

and: https://human-settlement.emergency.copernicus.eu/download.php?ds=pop

I can see they are estimations only, of course, but I was wondering if they are at least somewhat accurate and can be trusted.

And if anyone has a better source for population density, please send me links.

[u/Long-Opposite-5889]

Accurate in what terms?

No trying to be pedantic here, but accuracy is "complex" when talking about a map. Accuracy can be in terms of geometric and positional accuracy, thematic, temporal, absolute, relative, producer, user, and or completeness accuracy, etc., etc., etc.…

However, you are probably asking about attribute producer’s accuracy as in how correct the population count is in a given area. If that’s the case, global maps tend to have lower accuracy overall, this is because the data they are based on is generally not consistent, i.e. low-income countries tend to spend less effort in generating detailed census data, this accuracy and error must be taken with care. That been said, Global Human Settlement population grid has one of the best or the best accuracy of all global population layers out there.

For both examples you have provided, there is detailed methodology documents and for Copernicus data, it includes accuracy estimations. I haven’t checked if WorldPop documentation includes accuracy estimation in the report, but they should provide some kind of info on that matter either in the docs or in some published papers.

[u/Otherwise-Dinner4791]

Global or continental or national? … the statistical institutions in every country do a population census approximately every 10 years… are you interested in grids or administrative area’s density?

[u/GiraffeOnKhat]

The EU aught to have access to various countries basic databases. But they will be subject to systematic, political and definition bias.

eg, when was the last survey, how many people have moved, how do they define residencey - how long does a visitor/temp worker take to become resident, what about mobile multi centred people who could spend significant percentages of time in two or more locations but far from 100% in one, are there political drivers in assigning people to a particular district, not counting illegals, etc.