More than half of world's population live in China, India and surrounding countries

Not so suprising 

More people live inside this circle than outside it.

Valerie Pieris’ famous map: via Noah Smith 

In 2015, the circle was tested by Danny Quah, who verified the claim but moved the circle slightly to exclude most of Japan, and used a globe model rather than a map projection as well as more specific calculations. He calculated that, as of 2015, half of the world's population lived within a 3,300-kilometer (2,050 mi) radius of the city of Mong Khet in Myanmar. 

And Quah did not shrink from the political implication. 

From Adam Tooze's ChartBook

April 30, 2023