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- Global forest area changes
Global forest area changes
Our World in Data's slope chart drew 20.9K views on X: 0.7x its typical post and #108 of 139 Our World in Data charts we track by views. Read Oct 10, 2026.
Deforestation is no longer inevitable, In the past, forests around the world were cut down on a massive scale. We lost some of the world’s richest ecosystems.
Why it spread
It spread because a branded data journalism post from @OurWorldInData on 2026-02-26 paired a hot topic that week with a slope chart that explains itself, drawing 20,907 views, 191 likes, 45 reposts, 8 quotes and 32 saves.
What worked
- The slope chart shows forest area changes by world region since 1990, so the form matches the story of change over time and the chart explains itself.
- The post text frames deforestation as no longer inevitable and no longer happening everywhere, which turns a familiar worry into a more complex and shareable idea.
- It is branded, shows a source line, and has high self labelling, so viewers can trust and read it quickly, and the quote rate is above average with source reach in the top quarter.
What to borrow
Use a slope chart with high self labelling and a visible source line when our own data tracks change across regions or groups over time, and open with a short framing line that states what has changed and what has not.
Careful
Do not over-read the absence of comment and account benchmark figures, and do not assume the hot topic alone carried it, since the chart form and self labelling did real work.
Written by our analysis model from the measured numbers above, not by Our World in Data.
Make it yours
Your numbers, in this grouped bar chart.
Starts from the real numbers of "Changes in forest area by world region since 1990" by Our World in Data. Replace every number with yours before you post. Make one like this, step by step
Free pictures carry a small "Made with ViralChart" line. That line is how other people find us.
API · Max
Use this chart via API
On the Max plan you can pull this chart's numbers with the provenance of each one, as JSON or CSV, with its redraw spec, or call it from an agent over MCP. Chart id 82210db044f7.
| Path | Returns | Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /api/v1/charts/82210db044f7 | Title, publisher, date, form, point count; with a Max key, the data link | Open |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/82210db044f7/data | Every point with its provenance and confidence, plus the redraw spec. Add ?format=csv for CSV | Max |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/82210db044f7/render?view=1 | The draw-only view this page uses | Open |
| POST | /mcp | Tool get_chart_data with this id, for Claude, Cursor and other agents | Max |
curl -s https://viral-chart.com/api/v1/charts/82210db044f7/data \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $VIRALCHART_KEY"claude mcp add --transport http viralchart https://viral-chart.com/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer $VIRALCHART_KEY"60 requests a minute per key; over that you get 429 with Retry-After. Up to 5 keys per account, made on your account page and shown once. Without Max, the data route answers 402 with a link to the plans. The numbers describe a chart its publisher owns, and every file carries a license note.
More from Our World in Data
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Questions people ask
How far did Our World in Data's "Global forest area changes" chart travel?
20,907 views, 191 likes, 45 reposts and 32 saves on X, read Oct 10, 2026. A normal post from @OurWorldInData gets about 28.6K views.
What kind of chart is it?
A slope chart. Forest area changes by world region since 1990.
Can I use Our World in Data's chart?
Use the format, not the picture. The chart, logo and design belong to Our World in Data. ViralChart redraws the chart type with your numbers and words, and credits the original publisher.