Gridded Population of the World, version 3 (GPWv3)

The Gridded Population of the World, version 3 (GPWv3) depicts the distribution of human population across the globe. The data product renders global population data at the scale and extent required to demonstrate the spatial relationship of human populations and the environment across the globe. The purpose of GPWv3 is to provide a spatially disaggregated population layer that is compatible with data sets from social, economic, and Earth science fields. The gridded data set is constructed from national or subnational input units (usually administrative units) of varying resolutions. The native grid cell resolution is 2.5 arc-minutes, or ~5km at the equator, although aggregates at coarser resolutions are also provided. Separate grids are available for population count and density per grid cell. Population data estimates are provided for 1990, 1995, and 2000, and projected to 2005, 2010, and 2015.