Global artificial lighting has increased by 16% over the past decade, outpacing population growth by 6%, with some regions brightening by 34% and others dimming by 18%.
DPA
Wed, April 8, 2026
Our planet is getting brighter at night. Artificial lighting is increasing particularly rapidly in Asia, while it's declining in parts of Europe – especially in one country. What's behind these developments? Boris Roessler/dpa
Artificial lighting across our planet has increased sharply over the past decade, rising much faster than the global population and revealing how human activity is reshaping the night-time landscape of Earth.
A new study in the journal Nature finds that global light emissions grew by 16% between early 2014 and late 2022, while the world's population increased by only about 10% over the same period.
But the change is uneven. Some regions became dramatically brighter, while others dimmed.
According to the international research team led by Zhe Zhu of the University of Connecticut in the United States, light emissions rose by 34% in some areas but fell by 18% in others.
The team analysed 1.16 million satellite images from the NASA space agency's night-time lights dataset, which tracks artificial illumination across the planet.
The system corrects data for factors such as atmospheric conditions, terrain types, any snow and ice cover as well as the light of the moon.
Viewed from space at night, the researchers say that the glowing planet "is a powerful testament to human presence, revealing a 'Black Marble' increasingly delineated by the light of human settlements, industries and energy infrastructures."
Asia brightens, Europe dims
The strongest growth in night-time lighting over the nine-year study period occurred in Asia, particularly in China and India, reflecting urban expansion, industrial activity and electrification.
"In China, brightening is concentrated in the eastern and central regions, driven by urbanization and industrial activity, whereas western areas show lower levels of change and more spatially fragmented patterns," write Zhu and colleagues.
In India, the economically strong regions in the south became brighter throughout the entire period. In the north, a programme to electrify rural areas had an impact, particularly in the early years of the study period.
In contrast, Europe became noticeably darker.
"This reflects a combination of widespread technological shifts from older, less efficient lighting to newer LED systems, measures to reduce light pollution and energy use, and broader national and EU-level energy efficiency mandates," the study states.
France showed the sharpest drop in lighting intensity, falling by 33%, followed by the United Kingdom (–22%) and the Netherlands (–21%). Germany showed a mixed pattern, with some regions brightening and others dimming.
COVID-19 lockdowns visible from space
Satellite data also captured temporary changes during the COVID-19 pandemic, when lockdowns reduced lighting intensity in many countries.
According to the researchers, the precise data analysis shows that changes in artificial lighting can have very different causes.
These include urban expansion, natural disasters, armed conflicts, the installation and decommissioning of gas flares in connection with natural gas extraction, or the switch to LED lighting.
Because of this, the team argues that night-time light intensity can serve as an indicator not only of socio-economic activity and technological change but also of political intervention or economic instability.
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