A census provides the most authoritative data on population. But if censuses are not conducted regularly or if census data is not available at an adequate resolution, it can lead to serious gaps in our understanding about population distribution and demand for various services, amenities and products.

To fill this gap, we developed regional and national scale population forecasting methods that provide reliable 30m resolution population data. We use machine learning derived indicators from satellite imagery, past census data and spatial statistical methods to develop these datasets. Such gridded population data can also provide a robust and consistent sampling frame for conducting surveys.

We helped a leading international development consultancy use our 30m resolution 2022 population estimates for India as a sampling frame for surveys which were representative at the state and city levels.