API Access
Access dataset files directly from scripts, code, or AI agents.
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API Access
Access dataset files directly from scripts, code, or AI agents.
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.
/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/README.md
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/data/child-mortality.csv
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/data/democracy.csv
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/data/education.csv
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/data/life-expectancy.csv
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/data/literacy.csv
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/data/poverty.csv
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/datapackage.json
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/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_r/-/datapackage.json
README.md— documentation
https://datahub.io/society-and-living-standards/history-global-living-conditions/_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
Global Life Expectancy at Birth (1770–2023)
Global Child Mortality Rate (1800–2023)
World Literacy Rate (1820–2023)
People Living in Democracies vs. Autocracies (1800–2024)
World Population by Income Level (1820–2018)
World Population by Education Level (1950–2020)
Data Files
Explore with AIGlobal Life Expectancy at Birth
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| year | integer | Year |
| life_expectancy_years | number | Life expectancy at birth (years) |
Download
Download CSVAbout
- Average life expectancy at birth for the world, 1770–2023.
- Last updated
- 17 March 2026
- Total rows
- ...
- Format
- CSV
- File size
- 984 B
Global Child Mortality Rate
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| year | integer | Year |
| child_mortality_rate | number | Share of children dying in first five years of life (%) |
| child_survival_rate | number | Share of children surviving first five years of life (%) |
Download
Download CSVAbout
- Share of children dying before age 5 globally, 1800–2023. In 1800 roughly 43 in 100 children died before their fifth birthday; by 2023 that had fallen below 4 in 100.
- Last updated
- 17 March 2026
- Total rows
- ...
- Format
- CSV
- File size
- 3.67 kB
World Literacy Rate
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| year | integer | Year |
| literate_pct | number | Share of adults who are literate (%) |
| illiterate_pct | number | Share of adults who are illiterate (%) |
Download
Download CSVAbout
- Share of the world adult population that is literate vs. illiterate, 1820–2023. In 1820 only 12% of people could read and write; today roughly 87% can.
- Last updated
- 17 March 2026
- Total rows
- ...
- Format
- CSV
- File size
- 1.08 kB
People Living in Democracies vs. Autocracies
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| year | integer | Year |
| people_in_democracies | integer | Number of people living in democracies |
| people_in_autocracies | integer | Number of people living in autocracies |
| no_regime_data | integer | Population with no regime classification data |
Download
Download CSVAbout
- Number of people worldwide living under democratic vs. autocratic political regimes, 1800–2024. Based on the Lexical Index of Electoral Democracy.
- Last updated
- 17 March 2026
- Total rows
- ...
- Format
- CSV
- File size
- 7.47 kB
World Population by Income Level
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| year | integer | Year |
| above_30_usd | integer | People living on more than $30/day |
| between_10_30_usd | integer | People living on $10–$30/day |
| between_5_10_usd | integer | People living on $5–$10/day |
| between_1_90_5_usd | integer | People living on $1.90–$5/day |
| below_1_90_usd | integer | People living on less than $1.90/day (extreme poverty) |
Download
Download CSVAbout
- Distribution of the global population across five income thresholds (in 2011 international dollars per day), 1820–2018. Shows the dramatic decline of extreme poverty alongside growth of the middle class.
- Last updated
- 17 March 2026
- Total rows
- ...
- Format
- CSV
- File size
- 3.22 kB
World Population by Education Level
| Field | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| year | integer | Year |
| no_education | integer | No formal education |
| incomplete_primary | integer | Some primary education (incomplete) |
| primary | integer | Completed primary education |
| lower_secondary | integer | Completed lower secondary education |
| upper_secondary | integer | Completed upper secondary education |
| post_secondary | integer | Post-secondary / tertiary education |
Download
Download CSVAbout
- Global adult population (15+) broken down by highest level of educational attainment, 1950–2020.
- Last updated
- 17 March 2026
- Total rows
- ...
- Format
- CSV
- File size
- 1.09 kB
About this dataset
A History of Global Living Conditions
Two centuries of progress in human wellbeing — poverty, life expectancy, child mortality, literacy, political freedom, and education — from 1800 to today. Based on Our World in Data's article "A History of Global Living Conditions in 6 Charts".
Background
The world of 1800 was one of almost universal poverty, short lives, rampant child death, near-total illiteracy, and autocratic rule. Over the past two centuries that picture has been transformed. This dataset tracks six dimensions of that transformation using long-run global estimates compiled by Our World in Data.
Data
Six CSV files in data/:
| File | Description | Coverage |
|---|---|---|
life-expectancy.csv | Global average life expectancy at birth (years) | 1770–2023 |
child-mortality.csv | Share of children dying before age 5, and survival rate (%) | 1800–2023 |
literacy.csv | Share of adults who are literate vs. illiterate (%) | 1820–2023 |
democracy.csv | Population living under democratic vs. autocratic regimes | 1800–2024 |
poverty.csv | World population by income bracket (2011 international dollars per day) | 1820–2018 |
education.csv | Global adult population (15+) by highest education level | 1950–2020 |
Key columns
life-expectancy.csv
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
year | Year |
life_expectancy_years | Life expectancy at birth (years) |
child-mortality.csv
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
year | Year |
child_mortality_rate | Share of children dying before age 5 (%) |
child_survival_rate | Share of children surviving to age 5 (%) |
poverty.csv
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
year | Year |
above_30_usd | People living on more than 30 USD per day |
between_10_30_usd | People living on 10–30 USD per day |
between_5_10_usd | People living on 5–10 USD per day |
between_1_90_5_usd | People living on 1.90–5 USD per day |
below_1_90_usd | People in extreme poverty (under 1.90 USD per day) |
Sources
- Our World in Data. A History of Global Living Conditions in 6 Charts.