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Measuring global human accessibility to essential daily necessities and services

Author

Listed:
  • Shengbiao Wu

    (The University of Hong Kong, Future Urbanity & Sustainable Environment (FUSE) Lab, Division of Landscape Architecture, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture)

  • Bin Chen

    (The University of Hong Kong, Future Urbanity & Sustainable Environment (FUSE) Lab, Division of Landscape Architecture, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture
    The University of Hong Kong, Urban Systems Institute
    The University of Hong Kong, Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality)

  • Jiafu An

    (The University of Hong Kong, Urban Systems Institute
    The University of Hong Kong, Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality
    The University of Hong Kong, Department of Real Estate and Construction, Faculty of Architecture)

  • Andrew Nelson

    (Faculty of Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) of the University of Twente, Department of Natural Resources)

  • Fan Dai

    (The University of Hong Kong, Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality)

  • Chen Lin

    (The University of Hong Kong, Urban Systems Institute
    The University of Hong Kong, Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality
    The University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Business and Economics)

  • Peng Gong

    (The University of Hong Kong, Urban Systems Institute
    The University of Hong Kong, Institute for Climate and Carbon Neutrality
    The University of Hong Kong, Department of Geography and Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences)

Abstract

Equitable access to daily necessities and services is crucial for enhancing human quality of life and achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. However, knowledge about global access to these essential resources remains limited and fragmented, due to the absence of a comprehensive infrastructure inventory and scalable accessibility measures. Here we compile a global database of points of interest to represent six essential infrastructure categories—living, healthcare, education, entertainment, public transit, and working. We use refined 30-meter resolution friction surface data to map travel time to these critical infrastructures as a proxy for accessibility across the urban-rural continuum and assess disparities across geographic, urbanization, and socio-economic contexts. Our results reveal uneven access in infrastructure availability, per capita distribution, and travel time. Globally, 62.8% (3.08 billion) and 82.5 % (4.04 billion) of urban residents live within a 15- and 30-minute walk of essential resources, respectively. These results highlight the need to optimize strategies for planning, allocation, and management of critical infrastructure to promote inclusive and sustainable development.

Suggested Citation

  • Shengbiao Wu & Bin Chen & Jiafu An & Andrew Nelson & Fan Dai & Chen Lin & Peng Gong, 2025. "Measuring global human accessibility to essential daily necessities and services," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-65732-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-65732-w
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