One of the most common questions we get is: “Where does the data come from?” This post walks through our data sourcing methodology, the decisions behind our 48-country model, and how we keep it current.
Why 48 Countries?
We started with a simple question: which countries drive 90% of global geopolitical dynamics? The answer is roughly 48 — the major powers, regional pivots, nuclear states, resource producers, and strategic chokepoint controllers. These 48 countries represent the actors whose decisions cascade through the global system.
Our Data Sources
For each country, we maintain structured data across multiple dimensions:
| Dimension | Primary Sources |
|---|
| Economics | World Bank, IMF World Economic Outlook |
| Military | SIPRI, IISS Military Balance |
| Nuclear | FAS Nuclear Notebook |
| Resources | USGS, EIA, national geological surveys |
| Leadership | CIA World Factbook, government sources |
Data Quality Process
Every data point goes through a confidence-tiered validation process:
- High confidence: Multiple authoritative sources agree
- Medium confidence: Single authoritative source
- Estimated: Derived from related data with documented methodology
- Low confidence: Single non-authoritative source, flagged for review
Keeping Data Current
Our seed data is updated continuously. Leadership changes, new military spending figures, and resource production updates are incorporated as they become available from authoritative sources. Each update includes source URLs for full traceability.
The 195-Country Premium Tier
For users who need full global coverage, our Premium depth tier extends simulation to all 195 countries — though with less granular data for smaller states. Standard depth (48 countries) provides the richest simulation experience for most scenarios.
