Green
The Tourist Beaches Predicted to Shrink the Most
The Tourist Beaches Predicted to Shrink the Most
Sandy beaches comprise more than one-third of the world’s coastline —but nearly half of this could be gone by 2100.
This graphic by HawaiianIslands.com uses European Commission data that estimates how shorelines worldwide will change over the next decades.
How this Graphic Works
The source conducted an analysis using European Commission data, estimating global shoreline changes by 2100.
Utilizing this data, they calculated the average decrease or increase (in meters) for the shorelines of the 10 most-reviewed beaches in each country on TripAdvisor.
Subsequently, they identified the top 20 tourist beaches projected to experience the most significant reduction in size. The beach boundaries were delineated using the Google Maps API.
Beaches Shrinking by 2100
According to various research, climate change is the main cause of sea levels rising across the globe. In the 20th century alone, it’s estimated that the mean global sea level rose by 11-16 cm.
Typically, beaches might naturally shift inland in response to higher water levels. However, over the last few decades, beaches, caught between rising seas and structures such as buildings and roads, have found themselves with nowhere to go.
Landmark Beach in Lagos, Nigeria, is expected to be the worst hit by 2100, losing 918.3 m of shoreline due to rising sea levels.
Lagos is already suffering the severe impact of rising seas through increased flooding, water-borne disease, and declining water quality.
Beach | Country | Shoreline Shrinkage (2100P) |
---|---|---|
Landmark | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 918.3m |
Mackenzie | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 660.9m |
Spiaggia La Cinta | 🇮🇹 Italy | 514.2m |
Costa do Sol | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 453.4m |
Kuakata Sea | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 361.2m |
Kabyar Wa | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 351.7m |
Entry of Elegushi | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 338.0m |
Royal Comission Yanbu | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 336.2m |
Simaisma North | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 298.6m |
Al Thakeera | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 278.9m |
Akumal | 🇲🇽 Mexico | 265.9m |
Ngapali | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | 249.5m |
Patenga Sea | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | 245.8m |
Morro Branco | 🇧🇷 Brazil | 224.6m |
St. Brelade's Bay | 🇯🇪 Jersey | 213.6m |
Cape Henlopen | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 204.7m |
Veracruz | 🇵🇦 Panama | 202.4m |
Dado | 🇮🇱 Israel | 201.4m |
Clearwater | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 193.4m |
Blåvand | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 183.1m |
Playa Akumal in Cancún, Mexico, is the North American tourist beach that is expected to shrink the most (265.9 m). Parts of the Quintana Roo coast, where Akumal is found, are already losing up to 4.9 m a year.
Meanwhile, Clearwater Beach in Longboat Key, Florida, is the American beach that is anticipated to shrink the most (193.4 m). Rising sea levels in Clearwater pose an additional concern since the local aquifers, critical for the water supply of millions, are vulnerable to saltwater intrusion.
What’s Causing Sea Levels to Rise?
Since the 1970s, the world has experienced an average temperature increase of 0.15 to 0.20°C per decade, as indicated by NASA research.
This global warming phenomenon has triggered the melting of polar ice caps, resulting in the loss of approximately 28 trillion tonnes of ice within a little over two decades.
Concurrently, global sea levels have escalated by an average of 34.6 mm during the same period.
In the face of the challenge, solutions such as creating dunes along the backshore of beaches, increasing shoreline setbacks, and planting submerged aquatic vegetation to reduce erosion have been studied to mitigate the impact of rising sea levels.

This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Energy
Ranked: Electric Vehicle Sales by Model in 2023
Today, electric vehicle sales make up 18% of global vehicle sales. Here are the leading models by sales as of August 2023.

Ranked: Electric Vehicle Sales by Model in 2023
Electric vehicle (EV) sales are gaining momentum, reaching 18% of global vehicle sales in 2023.
As new competitors bring more affordable options and new performance features, the market continues to mature as customers increasingly look to electric options.
This graphic ranks the top-selling EVs worldwide as of August 2023, based on data from CleanTechnica.
The Best Selling EVs in 2023 (Through August)
Below, we show the world’s best selling fully electric vehicles from January to August 2023:
Model | Country | Vehicles Sold (Jan-Aug 2023) |
---|---|---|
Tesla Model Y | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 772,364 |
Tesla Model 3 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | 364,403 |
BYD Atto 3 / Yuan Plus | 🇨🇳 China | 265,688 |
BYD Dolphin | 🇨🇳 China | 222,825 |
GAC Aion S | 🇨🇳 China | 160,693 |
Wuling HongGuang Mini EV | 🇨🇳 China | 153,399 |
GAC Aion Y | 🇨🇳 China | 136,619 |
VW ID.4 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 120,154 |
BYD Seagull | 🇨🇳 China | 95,202 |
As we can see, Tesla‘s Model Y still holds a comfortable lead over the competition with 772,364 units sold. That’s more than double the sales of the #2 top selling vehicle, Tesla’s Model 3 (364,403)
But it’s hard to ignore the rising prevalence of Chinese EVs. The next five best selling EV vehicles are Chinese, including three from BYD. The automaker’s Atto 3 (or Yuan Plus, depending on market), is being sold in various countries including Germany, the UK, Japan, and India.
Meanwhile, Chinese automaker GAC Group also had two models of its Aion EV brand make the rankings, with the Aion S selling 160,693 units so far.
Regional market strength is also clear. For Volkswagen’s ID.4 model (120,154 units sold), Europe and China account for the majority of sales.
Given growing cost efficiencies and changing consumer behavior, global EV sales are projected to make up half of new car sales globally by 2035, according to forecasts from Goldman Sachs.
-
GDP6 days ago
Visualizing U.S. GDP by Industry in 2023
-
Business2 weeks ago
Ranked: Fast Food Brands with the Most U.S. Locations
-
Markets2 weeks ago
Visualizing 30 Years of Imports from U.S. Trading Partners
-
Markets2 weeks ago
Ranked: The Biggest Retailers in the U.S. by Revenue
-
Globalization2 weeks ago
The Top 50 Largest Importers in the World
-
Maps1 week ago
Mapped: Which Countries Recognize Israel or Palestine, or Both?
-
Education1 week ago
Ranked: America’s Best Universities
-
Countries1 week ago
Ranked: Share of Global Arms Imports in 2022