Global night glow up 16% since 2014, with pockets of dimming from conflict and policy

A Nature-published study using NASA’s VIIRS satellite data finds Earth’s night-time artificial lighting brightened by about 16% from 2014 to 2022, driven mainly by developing regions such as India, China and parts of Africa, indicating rising electricity access and activity. Yet some regions dimmed due to wars, disasters, or effective energy-saving policies (e.g., Ukraine, France), producing a flickering pattern rather than uniform brightening. The results highlight regional variability and note LED lighting can affect satellite measurements, with dimming areas expanding in certain regions even as overall brightness rises.