The pandemic’s true death toll
Our daily estimate of excess deaths around the world
How many people have died because of the covid-19 pandemic? The answer depends both on the data available, and on how you define “because”. Many people who die while infected with SARS-CoV-2 are never tested for it, and do not enter the official totals. Conversely, some people whose deaths have been attributed to covid-19 had other ailments that might have ended their lives on a similar timeframe anyway. And what about people who died of preventable causes during the pandemic, because hospitals full of covid-19 patients could not treat them? If such cases count, they must be offset by deaths that did not occur but would have in normal times, such as those caused by flu or air pollution.

Schooled by Trump, Americans are learning to dislike their allies
Our polling shows that Americans’ and Europeans’ attitudes towards each other are changing quickly

How politics shapes the world’s time zones
National identities and rivalries still drive changes

A visual guide to critical materials and rare earths
What are they, how are they used and where are they found?
Six charts show the impact of Obamacare
Did it live up to its promises?
Lessons from the happiest countries in the world
What’s their secret?
Ten indicators explain what’s going on with America’s economy
A look at the impact of Trumponomics, as revealed by data