OCHA Historic Subnational Administrative Boundaries for 43 Countries (Levels 0-4)

This aggregation provides historic subnational administrative boundaries (levels 0-4) for 43 countries and territories. Produced by HDX, the dataset includes three topological variations—Edge-Matched, Original, and Extended—to support different cartographic and analytical requirements.

Use Cases

• Spatial join of historic census data to admin level 0-4 polygons
• Cartographic visualization using Edge-Matched boundaries aligned to UN Geodata 1:1M
• Source lineage tracking using the included metadata table for administrative divisions

Strengths

• Covers administrative levels 0 through 4
• Provides three spatial variations: Edge-Matched, Original, and Extended
• Includes a metadata table detailing the specific sources for each boundary

Limitations

• Restricted to 43 countries and territories rather than full global coverage
• Original variation contains topological gaps and overlaps at international borders
• Historic data does not reflect current administrative changes

Provenance

Source

HDX

Collection Method

Aggregation

Time Range

Historic

Freshness

Historic versions; last updated March 2026.

Geography

43 countries / territories