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Rural Population Underestimated by Up to 84%, Study Reveals

11/1/2025

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Summary

Story summary

Aalto University researchers say rural populations may be undercounted by 53% to 84% compared with existing datasets.
The study analyzes data from 300 dam projects across 35 countries to derive these potential undercounts.
Lead researcher Josias Láng-Ritter says accurate population counts are essential for resource allocation, while Stuart Gietel-Basten warns that such a discrepancy would contradict decades of data and challenge estimates of about 8.2 billion.

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Story summary

Aalto University researchers say rural populations may be undercounted by 53% to 84% compared with existing datasets.
The study analyzes data from 300 dam projects across 35 countries to derive these potential undercounts.
Lead researcher Josias Láng-Ritter says accurate population counts are essential for resource allocation, while Stuart Gietel-Basten warns that such a discrepancy would contradict decades of data and challenge estimates of about 8.2 billion.