From auxiliary data to research prospects, a review of gridded population mapping

Abstract

Population has significant application value and scientific significance in resource use, public health, public transportation, disaster assessment, and environmental management. However, traditional census data can not show the population density difference within census units. Furthermore, census data are not uniform across countries, and reconciling these differences when using data from multiple countries require considerable effort. Finally, there are scale differences between census and geospatial data (e.g., land use/cover), making data analysis and needed research difficult. These challenges significantly limit the applications of census data. The advent of gridded population mapping (GPM) technology has overcome these challenges. GPM technology has developed rapidly in recent years. The research data and models are rich and diverse, and many achievements have been made. A systematic review of the current state of GPM research will help relevant researchers and data users. This article begins by summarizing the core elements of GPM research in four aspects: auxiliary data, models, accuracy, and products. It will then go on to four problems prevalent in GPM research that have direct or indirect effects on the accuracy of GPM. Finally, the article prospects GPM research from four different aspects based on the current state of research.