Since the 1960s, the World Bank’s Atlas series has reported on trends in global development data compiled by the Bank. The 2026 edition, the online-only and interactive Atlas of Global Development, demonstrates how complex methodologies and a plethora of datasets can be transformed into an engaging publication for a broad audience. Topics of the Atlas include extreme poverty, urban development and artificial intelligence, while the chapter on climate change focusses on exposure, vulnerability and adaptation to climate hazards.
Central to the Atlas is the concept of progress. Measuring progress sounds straightforward, but traditional approaches often disadvantage poorer countries. To address this, the Atlas of Global Development 2026 introduces a new framework for measuring progress that accounts for where countries start off from rather than simply measuring distance to a target or relative change over time. This approach, however, is far more complex and less intuitive to explain.
In this talk, Maarten will show how the Atlas uses scrollytelling, interactivity, and data visualization to communicate this new framework to different audiences in a clear and engaging way.
The Atlas also offers broader lessons about building highly data-driven digital publications. With 95 data visualizations at its core, the project required close collaboration between writers, designers, data scientists and developers. Maarten will discuss what it means to place data visualization at the center of both the user experience and the editorial process, as well as the logistical challenges of integrating a large number of interactive visualizations into a publication on a corporate website.