Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL)

GHSL is produced by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and is one of the most useful datasets for civic researchers studying urbanisation. It provides gridded data on built-up areas, settlement typologies (from rural hamlets to megacities), and population distribution at 100 m to 1 km resolution, with time series from 1975 to 2030 (projected). For India, GHSL lets you trace the expansion of every city, quantify peri-urban growth, and map where people live in relation to infrastructure — all in a consistent global framework. The GHSL Data Package 2023 covers 1975-2030 in 5-year steps.