API Access

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Dataset Files

Each file has a stable URL (r-link) that you can use directly in scripts, apps, or AI agents. These URLs are permanent and safe to hardcode.

/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/

├ README.md

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/README.md

├ cropland_r.txt

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/cropland_r.txt

├ data/land-use.csv

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/data/land-use.csv

├ data/population.csv

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/data/population.csv

├ datapackage.json

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/datapackage.json

├ his_crop_23mrt2023.csv

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/his_crop_23mrt2023.csv

├ his_past_23mrt2023.csv

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/his_past_23mrt2023.csv

├ pasture_r.txt

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/pasture_r.txt

├ popc_r.txt

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/popc_r.txt

└ process.py

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/process.py

Key Files

Start with these files — they give you everything you need to understand and access the dataset.

datapackage.json— metadata & schema

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/datapackage.json

README.md— documentation

https://datahub.io/climate-and-environment/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment/_r/-/README.md

Typical Usage

1. Fetch datapackage.json to inspect schema and resources
2. Download data resources listed in datapackage.json
3. Read README.md for full context

Data Views

Data Previews

population

Loading data...

Schema

name	type	description
year	integer	Year of observation. Negative values are BCE (e.g. -10000 = 10,000 BCE). Spacing is millennial before 1 CE, then decadal to 1700, then annual to 2023.
population	integer	Total world population (persons)

land-use

Loading data...

Schema

name	type	description
year	integer	Year of observation. Negative values are BCE.
indicator	string	Land use type: 'cropland' (all cultivated area) or 'pasture' (managed grazing land)
area_km2	number	Total global area in km²

Data Files

File	Description	Size	Last modified	Download
population	Global human population from 10,000 BCE to 2023 CE. Values are total world population in persons, derived by summing HYDE 3.3 regional baseline estimates. Negative years denote BCE.	2.11 kB	about 2 months ago	population
land-use	Global agricultural land use from 10,000 BCE to 2023 CE. Covers cropland (all cultivated area) and pasture (managed grazing land). Areas in km².	6.42 kB	about 2 months ago	land-use

Files	Size	Format	Created	Updated	License	Source
2	8.52 kB	csv		about 2 months ago	Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International	Klein Goldewijk, K., Beusen, A., Doelman, J. & Stehfest, E. (2017, updated 2024). Anthropogenic land use estimates for the Holocene — HYDE 3.3. Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) / Utrecht University.

HYDE: History Database of the Global Environment

12,000 years of global population and agricultural land use. Developed by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and Utrecht University.

Overview

HYDE 3.3 provides estimates of world population and land use from 10,000 BCE to 2023 CE — the entire span of human civilization. The database is built from archaeological, historical, and census sources and is widely used in climate modelling, sustainability research, and global change studies.

Data

File	Description	Rows
`data/population.csv`	Global population by year	126
`data/land-use.csv`	Cropland and pasture by year	252

Population

Global total world population in persons. Highlights:

Year	Population
10,000 BCE	~4.5 million
Year 0 (1 CE)	~232 million
1750	~753 million
1950	~2.5 billion
2023	~7.9 billion

Land Use

Global agricultural area in km², covering two categories:

Cropland — all cultivated land (arable + permanent crops)
Pasture — managed grazing land (excludes natural rangeland)

Year	Cropland (km²)	Pasture (km²)
10,000 BCE	0	0
Year 0	~1,496,000	~170,000
1750	~4,640,000	~3,200,000
2023	~16,267,000	~7,434,000

Source Data

Raw source files (space-separated regional tables from HYDE 3.3 baseline scenario):

File	Description
`popc_r.txt`	Regional population counts (persons)
`cropland_r.txt`	Regional cropland area (km²)
`pasture_r.txt`	Regional pasture area (km²)

Run python3 process.py to regenerate the CSVs from these source files.

Source

Klein Goldewijk, K., Beusen, A., Doelman, J. & Stehfest, E. (2017, updated 2024). Anthropogenic land use estimates for the Holocene — HYDE 3.3. Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) / Utrecht University. DOI: 10.24416/UU01-94FNH0

HYDE project page: https://www.pbl.nl/en/hyde-history-database-of-the-global-environment

License

CC BY 4.0. Cite the original HYDE 3.3 publication when using this dataset.