The map shows how school grades are awarded from “worst” to “best,” with ranges like 0–10, 1–5, 0–20, and even 1–100 appearing in different nations. While superficially this might look like a quirky oddity, it actually reveals deeper truths about how schooling and standards operate in Latin America .

For one, when students and transcripts cross borders, for university admissions or migration , these differences complicate things. A “7” in one country might be equivalent to a “C” in another, while a “14” on a scale of 20 might translate differently again.

According to a global overview of grading systems, South America frequently uses numerical scales like 1–10 or 0–20 instead of the letter-grade models seen elsewhere.

In particular:

These variations matter not just academically, but socially: they mirror differences in school resources, quality of instruction, and the rural-urban divide across Latin America.

For example, a recent review points out that the educational systems in South America are characterised by “inconsistencies and largely correlate to the economy of the countries” — meaning that how you’re graded may depend heavily on where you live and the school you attend.

What the map shows at a glance

The global and contemporary link

This diversity of grading scales comes at a moment when higher education and student mobility are more international than ever. For example, with the rise of online learning, cross-border student exchanges and global credentials, universities must interpret these varied grading systems.

Meanwhile, more broadly, Latin America is facing intense pressure to improve educational outcomes.

A recent study analysing data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 for nine Latin American countries found significant “efficiency gaps” between public and private institutions, meaning that even given the same resources, outcomes varied sharply.

Grading systems, and their interpretation, become one piece of this larger puzzle of equity, access and quality in education.

While COVID-19 intensified the emotional strain, Gallup’s findings show that this trend predates the pandemic. The causes, researchers say, vary across regions, but one theme keeps emerging about technology and polarisation.

"So, if we look at things like the rates of worry, 39% of the people we interviewed in 2024 reported that they experienced a lot of worry the day before. When we first started tracking that data in 2006, it was only at 30% and so 9% of the global population is a big portion. And we see similar patterns for the other emotions —stress, physical pain, anger, and sadness — over that time frame. With a lot of those gains really coming in the last few years, and it's something that troubles me when I look at this data," Dan Foy thr Global Research Director at Gallup, told Global South World.

In many regions, particularly post-Soviet Eurasia, perceptions of safety have doubled over the last 20 years.

These are countries that have undergone significant political and social transformations, moving from instability toward greater structure and governance.

In Sub-Saharan Africa, the sense of safety has slipped, from 58% to 53%, and in Latin America and the Caribbean, only half of the population says they feel safe walking alone at night.

With this paradox, the world has a long way to go in achieving a balance between the safety and emotional health of its people.

Watch the full interview attached to the story for more insight.

The map, boldly colour-coded and superimposed on a traditional world map layout, challenges conventional perspectives on global demographics. It provides a stark reminder of where people are concentrated and how dramatically population density varies across the Earth.

A bold visualisation of global inequality

Rather than following traditional lines—continents, countries, or even economic regions—this population-based reorganisation shows:

Each region highlights how certain landmasses, like Australia or Northern Canada, contain vast land but very few people, while others, such as parts of South and East Asia, are incredibly dense.

As Our World in Data and the UN Population Division report, global population surpassed 8 billion in late 2022, and growth rates are increasingly uneven—Africa is seeing a youth boom, while Europe and parts of Asia face ageing populations.

This map puts these dynamics into perspective—visually equating continents that are otherwise unequal in demographic size, and encouraging viewers to reimagine global equity, representation, and environmental impact through the lens of people , not places.

Here’s a breakdown of the number of people without social protection by region:

Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounts for over 40% of the global population lacking protection, underscoring the urgent need for reform and investment in these areas.

Why are so many still uncovered?

Several key factors contribute to the growing global social protection gap:

Why it matters

Social protection systems—including health coverage, unemployment benefits, pensions, and child support—are fundamental human rights and key to reducing poverty and inequality. Without them, communities are more susceptible to hunger, illness, and economic shocks.

Investing in social protection is not just a moral imperative; it’s an economic one. According to the ILO and World Bank , every dollar spent on inclusive protection yields long-term benefits such as improved health, education, productivity, and social cohesion.