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Data Vis Dispatch, March 18: Animals, tariffs, and a Dispatch reader survey

The best of last week’s big and small data visualizations
Portrait of Vivien Serve
Vivien Serve

Welcome back to the 185th edition of Data Vis Dispatch! Every week, we’ll be publishing a collection of the best small and large data visualizations we find, especially from news organizations — to celebrate data journalism, data visualization, simple charts, elaborate maps, and their creators

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Recurring topics this week include (very small) animal species, U.S. tariffs, and (very fast) cars.

Animals snuck into this week's data visualizations. What do they sound like? And how many of them do we actually know?

The Pudding: <a href="https://pudding.cool/2025/03/language/"><strong>Onomatopoeia Odyssey, How do animals sound across languages?</strong></a><strong>, </strong>March 11
The Pudding: Onomatopoeia Odyssey, How do animals sound across languages?, March 11
The Guardian: As countries scramble for minerals, the seabed beckons. Will mining it be a disaster? – visual explainer, March 12 Long article with many visualizations

From the hiss and growl of animals to the hum of mechanics Formula 1 takes cars to the extreme:

Nexo Jornal: <a href="https://www.nexojornal.com.br/grafico/2025/03/14/formula-1-pilotos-brasileiros-historico"><strong>O número de brasileiros na Fórmula 1 ao longo dos anos</strong></a> [<em>The number of Brazilians in Formula 1 over the years</em>], March 14
Nexo Jornal: O número de brasileiros na Fórmula 1 ao longo dos anos [The number of Brazilians in Formula 1 over the years], March 14
ESPN: How F1 has evolved since 1950, March 13

In the wake of a measles outbreak in Texas and cuts to U.S. foreign aid, the New York Times ran several articles on vaccines:

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/health/measles-outbreak-map.html"><strong>Where U.S. Measles Outbreaks Are Spreading</strong></a>, March 16
The New York Times: Where U.S. Measles Outbreaks Are Spreading, March 16
The New York Times: We Need a Reminder of What the Pre-Vaccine Era Was Like, March 13
The New York Times: Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True, March 15

Another thing Trump says he wants to slash: the U.S. trade deficit. His tool of choice is tariffs:

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-us-trump-tariffs-trade-deficit/"><strong>Trump’s Tariffs Are Aimed at a Trade Deficit Driven by Popular Goods</strong></a>, March 13
Bloomberg: Trump’s Tariffs Are Aimed at a Trade Deficit Driven by Popular Goods, March 13
De Tijd: <a href="https://multimedia.tijd.be/trump-tarieven/"><strong>Trumps tarieven zullen zijn handelstekort niet oplossen</strong></a> [<em>Chart title: United States trade deficit has grown especially in the last decade</em>], March 13
De Tijd: Trumps tarieven zullen zijn handelstekort niet oplossen [Chart title: United States trade deficit has grown especially in the last decade], March 13

Where else did we find Trump in the vis world this past week? That's right — plummeting line charts:

Der Spiegel: <a href="https://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/unternehmen/donald-trump-diese-tech-bosse-jubelten-beim-amtsantritt-jetzt-sind-sie-viele-milliarden-dollar-aermer-a-b2d292b2-689c-42ae-baff-7787316edc08"><strong>Diese Techbosse jubelten bei Trumps Amtsantritt – jetzt sind sie viele Milliarden Dollar ärmer</strong></a><strong> </strong>[<em>These tech bosses cheered when Trump took office – now they are many billions of dollars poorer</em>], March 11
Der Spiegel: Diese Techbosse jubelten bei Trumps Amtsantritt – jetzt sind sie viele Milliarden Dollar ärmer [These tech bosses cheered when Trump took office – now they are many billions of dollars poorer], March 11
The Economist: <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2025/03/14/ten-indicators-explain-whats-going-on-with-americas-economy"><strong>Ten indicators explain what’s going on with America’s economy</strong></a>, March 14
The Economist: Ten indicators explain what’s going on with America’s economy, March 14

Let's leave Trump for today, but stay with U.S. society. What do people there believe in? What do they do all day?

Visual Capitalist: <a href="https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-the-religious-landscape-of-the-u-s/"><strong>Visualizing the Religious Landscape of the U.S.</strong></a>, March 15
Visual Capitalist: Visualizing the Religious Landscape of the U.S., March 15
Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-11/half-past-four-is-the-new-five-o-clock-in-more-efficient-workday?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc0MTc0NzE4MSwiZXhwIjoxNzQyMzUxOTgxLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJTU1gwWElUMEcxS1gwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiIzRDhGMEEzMTc2MDc0NUM5OTg4NkFCNzA1NDk2RUNEQSJ9.2XeytqRcNAXbpJ9MF2cDRTTbADPPGd7qhaysU1yzry4"><strong>Half-Past Four is the New Five O’Clock in More Efficient Workday</strong></a>, March 11
Bloomberg: Half-Past Four is the New Five O’Clock in More Efficient Workday, March 11

Off to the Asian continent:

The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/10/world/asia/south-korea-martial-law-president-yoon.html"><strong>How South Korea’s President Planned a Military Takeover, Then Blew It</strong></a>, March 10
The New York Times: How South Korea’s President Planned a Military Takeover, Then Blew It, March 10
Reuters: <a href="https://www.reuters.com/graphics/INDIA-POLITICS/STATES/zjvqawdolvx/" target="_blank"><strong>North vs South</strong></a>, March 14
Reuters: North vs South, March 14

From the Indian Ocean to the Baltic Sea, maps of trade and transit:

Bloomberg: <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2025-indian-ocean-china-india/?utm_content=graphics&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter"><strong>China Piles the Pressure on India in Its Own Backyard</strong></a>, March 11
Bloomberg: China Piles the Pressure on India in Its Own Backyard, March 11
Works in Progress: <a href="https://worksinprogress.co/issue/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-hanseatic-league/#:~:text=The%20Hanseatic%20system%20would%20ultimately,Russia%2C%20and%20Bergen%20in%20Norway."><strong>The rise and fall of the Hanseatic League</strong></a>, March 13
Works in Progress: The rise and fall of the Hanseatic League, March 13

Other economic topics included falling inflation in Argentina and rising production value of pineapples:

La Nación: <a href="https://www.lanacion.com.ar/economia/pausa-en-la-desinflacion-el-ipc-de-febrero-fue-de-24-y-acumulo-47-en-el-primer-bimestre-nid14032025/"><strong>Dato oficial: la inflación de febrero fue de 2,4% y acumuló 4,7% en el primer bimestre</strong></a> [<em>Official data: February inflation was 2.4% and accumulated 4.7% in the first two months</em>], March 14
La Nación: Dato oficial: la inflación de febrero fue de 2,4% y acumuló 4,7% en el primer bimestre [Official data: February inflation was 2.4% and accumulated 4.7% in the first two months], March 14
Works in Progress: <a href="https://worksinprogress.co/issue/king-of-fruits/"><strong>King of fruits</strong></a>, March 13
Works in Progress: King of fruits, March 13

We're calling these visualizations Spike Cities:

Funtography: <a href="https://mhinfographics.github.io/maps"><strong>The Cityverse</strong></a>, March 12
Funtography: The Cityverse, March 12
Financial Times: <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/f4b8a2ae-4b66-48c6-8e28-c8dd765d9fca"><strong>More than half of world’s most populated cities are getting wetter, research finds</strong></a>, March 13
Financial Times: More than half of world’s most populated cities are getting wetter, research finds, March 13

It's been a while since we last posted charts from the #TidyTuesday challenge. So here we go — this week was all about Pixar film ratings:

Georgios Karamanis: "When critics and audiences disagree for this week's #TidyTuesday [...]," March 12 (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/karaman.is/post/3lk6sycnf6k2t"><strong>Bluesky</strong></a>)
Georgios Karamanis: "When critics and audiences disagree for this week's #TidyTuesday [...]," March 12 (Bluesky)
Dan Oehm: "#TidyTuesday week 10: Pixar Films,  16/23 Pixar films have a Rotten Tomatoes score &gt;90. I had an idea, but it didn't quite turn out like I thought it would!" March 16 (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/danoehm.bsky.social/post/3lkhef323hs22"><strong>Bluesky</strong></a>)
Dan Oehm: "#TidyTuesday week 10: Pixar Films, 16/23 Pixar films have a Rotten Tomatoes score >90. I had an idea, but it didn't quite turn out like I thought it would!" March 16 (Bluesky)

Next, a topic that's on everyone's lips: artificial intelligence. The widespread use of AI currently comes with problems such as energy consumption and wrong citations:

<span style="color: #1d1c1d; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 1px 4px; border-radius: 4px;">Ars Technica: </span><a href="https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/03/ai-search-engines-give-incorrect-answers-at-an-alarming-60-rate-study-says/" target="_blank"><strong>AI search engines cite incorrect sources at an alarming 60% rate, study says</strong></a><span style="color: #1d1c1d; background-color: #ffffff; padding: 1px 4px; border-radius: 4px;">, March 13&nbsp;</span>
Ars Technica: AI search engines cite incorrect sources at an alarming 60% rate, study says, March 13 
The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/16/technology/ai-data-centers.html" target="_blank"><strong>How A.I. Is Changing the Way the World Builds Computers</strong></a>, March 16 <span class="badge">Beautiful graphics</span>
The New York Times: How A.I. Is Changing the Way the World Builds Computers, March 16 Beautiful graphics

Finally, housing shortages and Spain's outdated prisoner assessment algorithm:

The Wall Street Journal: Trump Wants to Build Homes on Federal Land. Here’s What That Would Look Like, March 17
Civio:<strong> </strong><a href="https://civio.es/justicia/2025/03/12/spanish-prisons-use-a-30-year-old-algorithm-to-decide-on-temporary-releases/"><strong>Spanish prisons use a 30-year-old algorithm to decide on temporary releases</strong></a>, March 12
Civio: Spanish prisons use a 30-year-old algorithm to decide on temporary releases, March 12

What else we found interesting

Data Visualization Society: "The longlist has been announced! Check out the entry showcase to see this year’s entries, including nearly 1,000 entries that have been selected for the longlist. Browse the 2024 longlist," March 12 (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/datavizsociety.bsky.social/post/3lk5ajv4c2c2u"><strong>Bluesky</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.informationisbeautifulawards.com/showcase?action=index&amp;award=2024&amp;controller=showcase&amp;page=1&amp;pcategory=long-list&amp;type=awards"><strong>List</strong></a>)
Data Visualization Society: "The longlist has been announced! Check out the entry showcase to see this year’s entries, including nearly 1,000 entries that have been selected for the longlist. Browse the 2024 longlist," March 12 (Bluesky, List)
The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/14/magazine/agoraphobia-grocery-store.html"><strong>An Agoraphobe Goes to the Grocery Store</strong></a>, March 14 <span class="badge">Animated personal story in a lovely style</span>
The New York Times: An Agoraphobe Goes to the Grocery Store, March 14 Animated personal story in a lovely style
The Washington Post: <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/interactive/2025/government-data-trump-deletion/"><strong>How Trump is reshaping reality by hiding data</strong></a>, March 11
The Washington Post: How Trump is reshaping reality by hiding data, March 11

Applications are open for…


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Portrait of Vivien Serve

Vivien Serve (she/her) is a working student on Datawrapper’s communications team. She creates the Data Vis Dispatch to keep data visualization enthusiasts up to date on exciting new projects. When she’s not working, she studies interface design, and when she’s not studying, she’s planning a festival stage or soldering light installations. Vivien lives in Potsdam.

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