TRACKER

Primary vaccine and population distribution by UN subregion

Updated daily
Shares in primary COVID-19 vaccine doses administered globally and global population

EXPLAINER

This chart shows the distribution across UN subregions of (1) COVID-19 vaccine doses administered globally and (2) the global population. It illustrates the inequality in the distribution of vaccines relative to global needs and highlights the mismatch between supply and potential demand (potential as this does not take into account vaccine hesitancy). 

Vaccine doses administered refer to total vaccinations, which are defined as adjusted primary doses + boosters. Primary doses pertain to the initial vaccination cycle and are adjusted to take into account the diversity of vaccine protocols. Primary doses of 1- and 3-dose vaccines are adjusted into 2-dose equivalents, which amounts to multiplying them by 2 and 2/3, respectively, before adding them up. This method, further detailed in this post, makes sure that we make correct comparisons across countries and country groups in the doses space.