Updated daily
View our work on COVID-19 vaccinations

How to read the famous Coronavirus trajectory chart – Video Explainer

Our World in Data presents the data and research to make progress against the world’s largest problems.
Our main publication on the pandemic is here: Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19).

Charts and data visualizations have become essential in tracking the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak across the world. They have become a mainstay in news, media, policy assessments and broader discussions.

We now have more than 80 interactive charts (all here) covering many different aspects of the pandemic. But one has taken on a more definitive role in understanding COVID-19: the trajectory chart –– the link takes you to the new Data Explorer.

But trajectory charts are not always straightforward to read and understand.

Vox have produced a great video explainer – based on our visualizations – on how to read these charts, and what we can and cannot learn from them.