Nighttime Lights in Venezuela

I extracted and processed satellite-recorded nighttime light (NTL) data to present monthly series for Venezuela at multiple geographical levels. I used remote sensing techniques, my own coding (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, Spyder as Python IDE and code editor, and Stata), and calculations based on pre-processed open-access NTL VIIRS imagery from the Colorado School of Mines - Payne Institute for Public Policy.

Brighter areas typically indicate higher levels of urbanization, economic activity, and population density. Conversely, darker regions may suggest rural areas, less development, or environmental factors such as protected zones or natural reserves. By examining its spatial distribution and changes over time, analysts can infer socioeconomic trends, urban expansion, and even environmental impacts like light pollution.

You can select the state, municipality, and parish of your interest to see how the average intensity of night light emissions and the lit area has evolved over time. 

I covered April 2012 - September 2024 (last update: 646,631,550 pixels processed).