Where Is East Asia’s Population Concentrated?

About This Chart

This chart compares East Asia in 1975 and 2025 using population-grid data rendered to resemble a nighttime satellite view. It is not satellite imagery or nighttime light data. The visualization uses the European Commission’s GHSL GHS-POP dataset to show where population was concentrated and how the spatial footprint of major settlement areas changed over 50 years.

Data Visualization Method

• GHS-POP gridded population data was converted into map points using the same geographic extent for both 1975 and 2025.
• Low-population and isolated grid cells were filtered to create visual separation between populated areas.
• Extremely high population values were capped so that a small number of megacities would not dominate the brightness scale.
• Point color and intensity were adjusted to create a visual effect similar to city lights viewed at night.
• The two years were aligned to the same coordinate system and viewport for direct visual comparison.

Creator’s Note

The original idea was to compare East Asia in 1975 and 2025 as if both years had been photographed from space at night. Comparable satellite night-light observations do not exist for 1975, so population data was used as a visual proxy instead.

The result works best as a comparison of spatial patterns rather than exact quantities. It can show where urban clusters expanded, where new concentrations appeared, and how settlement patterns changed in shape, but the brightness of individual points should not be interpreted as a direct population ratio.

Data Sources & Limitations

• Population data: European Commission GHSL · GHS-POP R2023A
• Reference dataset: Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL)

This visualization is not a population-density map, nighttime-light observation, or electricity-use map. Grid cells below the display threshold are hidden, and high values are capped for visual balance. As a result, dark areas do not necessarily indicate zero population, and differences in brightness cannot be read as proportional population differences.

The 2025 population layer is also a model-based estimate rather than a direct population count. The chart should therefore be read as a visual exploration of long-term settlement patterns rather than a quantitative measurement of population change.