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- Life satisfaction vs GDP
Life satisfaction vs GDP
Our World in Data's scatter plot drew 31K views on X: 1.1x its typical post and #69 of 139 Our World in Data charts we track by views. Read Oct 10, 2026.
People in richer countries tend to say they are more satisfied with their lives, Putting a number on “happiness” is hard. But one way to better understand how satisfied people are with their lives is to ask them.
Why it spread
This chart post spread because it hit a hot topic that week and came from an independent author, reaching 31,030 views, 292 likes, 81 reposts, 9 quotes, and 64 saves.
What worked
- The post pairs a scatter chart showing that people in richer countries report higher life satisfaction with plain framing that admits putting a number on happiness is hard.
- It is branded, shows a source line, and draws on a top quarter source, which supports trust in a data journalism context.
- Its quote rate is above average, so people did not just like it, they used it to start their own conversations.
What to borrow
We could take a hard to measure topic and pair one simple scatter view with a short, honest explanation of how the measure is collected, then keep our own branding and source line visible.
Careful
Do not over read this as proof that the chart design alone drove the spread, since the hot topic that week talents and the independent author are listed as the main reasons, and the post has no comment count or points to confirm deeper engagement.
Written by our analysis model from the measured numbers above, not by Our World in Data.
Make it yours
Your numbers, the bar chart way.
Starts from the real numbers of "People in richer countries tend to report higher life satisfaction" 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 525123653f0c.
Approximate values. Our two readings of this chart agreed only in part (confidence 0.34 of 1), so check the original before you quote a number. The API marks it lowConfidence, and ?min_confidence=0.5 leaves it out.
| Path | Returns | Plan | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /api/v1/charts/525123653f0c | Title, publisher, date, form, point count; with a Max key, the data link | Open |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/525123653f0c/data | Every point with its provenance and confidence, plus the redraw spec. Add ?format=csv for CSV | Max |
| GET | /api/v1/charts/525123653f0c/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/525123653f0c/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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Other giants using a scatter plot
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Questions people ask
How far did Our World in Data's "Life satisfaction vs GDP" chart travel?
31,030 views, 292 likes, 81 reposts and 64 saves on X, read Oct 10, 2026. A normal post from @OurWorldInData gets about 28.6K views.
What kind of chart is it?
A scatter plot. People in richer countries report higher life satisfaction.
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.