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by Mary Mederios Kent

(January 2010) PRB publishes dozens of articles on population, health, and environment topics on its website each year. Of all the content we published in 2009, which topics attracted the most web visitors to our website? To find out, we ranked the articles and webcasts we posted in 2009 by the number of times they were viewed. The favorites are listed below.

PRB's annual World Population Data Sheet—along with the webcast of the press briefing of its launch and two related stories (the World Population Clock and the annual "World Population Highlights") always attract our largest audience. The clock shows the number of births and deaths each year, month, day, hour, minute, and second. The "World Population Highlights" article about the annual Population Bulletin that accompanies the data sheet summarizes the key findings of the data sheet. 

Most Viewed PRB Web Articles in 2009

• 2009 World Population Data Sheet, World Population Data Sheet Press Briefing webcast, and the related stories: World Population Clock, 2009 and "World Population Highlights: Key Findings From PRB's 2009 World Population Data Sheet."
• The 2010 Census Questionnaire: Seven Questions for Everyone
• Changes in Fertility Rates Among Muslims in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh 
• U.S. Hispanic and Asian Population Growth Levels Off 
• 20th-Century U.S. Generations 
• Rising U.S. Teen Fertility 
• Birth Rates Rising in Some Low Birth-Rate Countries
• Youth Unemployment and Underemployment in Africa Brings Uncertainty and Opportunity 
• Urban Poverty and Health in Developing Countries 

Many older articles still attracted viewers in 2009: The all-time favorite is a 2002 article by Carl Haub, "How Many People Have Ever Lived on Earth?"

Most Downloaded Publications in 2009

Many stories include links to PRB publications used by journalists, college students, academics, professionals, and the general public. We checked which publications, including those that came out in previous years, were downloaded most in 2009. World Population Data Sheets from recent years were the most downloaded files, followed by the Population Bulletins that accompanied them. Other top downloads covered topics as diverse as HIV/AIDS and population; China's population trends; India's changing demographics; and marriage in the Arab world. Another PRB favorite is the Population Handbook.

• World Population Data Sheet, 2009 and previous years
• World Population Highlights: Key Findings From the 2008 World Population Data Sheet and Key Findings From the 2009 World Population Data Sheet 
• How HIV and AIDS Affect Populations 
• China's Population: New Trends and Challenges
• Marriage in the Arab World
• Population Handbook
• India's Population Reality: Reconciling Change and Tradition

Popular PRB Webcasts

This year saw a marked increase in the number of webcasts posted on our site and they are becoming increasingly popular. Some are posted on our YouTube channel, expanding our reach and audience:

• World Population Data Sheet Press Briefing
• The World in 2050: A Scientific Investigation of the Impact of Global Population Changes on a Divided Planet 
• Africa's Future: Improving the Health of Mothers and Children
• Distilled Demographics: Deciphering Population Pyramids

These statistics give us valuable information we can use to plan future articles and publications. We always welcome your opinions, comments, and suggestions about content you would like to see on PRB's website in 2010, as well as feedback on our articles and publications. Contact us at popref@prb.org.

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Mary Mederios Kent is senior demographic editor at PRB.