Mona Chalabi Biography
Mona Chalabi is a British-Iraqi data journalist, illustrator, writer, and producer who works as the Data Editor for The Guardian US. Chalabi, born and raised in East London to Iraqi immigrant parents, is known for bringing complex data to life and engaging worldwide audiences with hand-drawn visualizations and simple narratives.
Mona received her bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of Edinburgh before moving to Paris to pursue a master’s degree in international security at the famed Paris Institute of Political Studies (Sciences Po). She also studied Arabic in Jordan, which provided her with a bilingual, cosmopolitan background that shaped her global worldview.
After graduating, she worked with massive datasets at the Bank of England, Transparency International, FiveThirtyEight, and the International Organization for Migration before moving into data journalism. Her articles, photographs, and graphics have appeared in a variety of publications, including The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Guardian, and New York Magazine. She’s also contributed to media sources like NPR, Netflix (The Fix), BBC, and National Geographic.
Among Mona’s artistic and journalistic endeavors are the experimental podcast Strange Bird, which explores societal taboos, and the Emmy-nominated video documentary series Vagina Dispatches (2016–17). She has given powerful TED speeches, such as “Three Ways to Spot a Bad Statistic,” on a variety of radio and television shows.
…..
Her visual data projects have garnered significant recognition: she won the Shorty Award for Social Media Journalism in 2020 and the Pulitzer Prize for Illustrated Reporting and Commentary in 2023 for her article “9 Ways to Imagine Jeff Bezos’ Wealth” in The New York Times Magazine. Additionally, she was named on Fortune’s 40 Under 40 in Media & Entertainment in 2020 and received recognition from the Royal Statistical Society.
Reputable establishments such as the Tate Gallery, the Design Museum (London), the House of Illustration, the Brooklyn Museum, and the Contemporary Art Museum in St. Louis have displayed Mona’s drawings and artwork.
She is now working on a book called The Ten, which uses tales and visual storytelling to examine economic injustice in America. A24 has already optioned the concept to be developed into a documentary series. In addition, Mona is the creative director and executive producer of 1 Happy Family USA, an animated series that she co-created with Ramy Youssef in partnership with Amazon Studios and A24 and is scheduled to debut in April 2025.
By fusing insight, creativity, and clarity, Chalabi is reinventing data journalism and using data to tell compelling, instructive, and profoundly human tales to audiences.
Mona Chalabi Age
Chalabi is 38 years old as of 2025. She was born on February 11, 1987, in East London to Iraq immigrants. In addition, she celebrates her birthday on February 11 every year, and her birth sign is Aquarius.
Mona Chalabi Family
Chalabi was raised with a combination of independence and intellectual curiosity by her Iraqi immigrant parents, who both sought professions in medicine. Chalabi was born in East London.
Mona regularly cites her mother, an obstetrician who eventually transitioned to family medicine, for her professional impact as well as her strong moral advice: “You don’t tell lies,” a tenet that Mona identifies with her journalistic quest for the truth.
For many years, her father practiced pediatrics. According to Mona, he helped create an atmosphere of independence and self-sufficiency throughout her early years. She remembers her parents promoting a trial-and-error approach to life instead of rigid regulations, which she believes influenced her daring curiosity and data-driven storytelling style.
In ancient family home recordings, Mona and her younger sister were frequently spotted together. Mona herself recalled that she and her sister would introduce themselves in a comedic ecstasy while laughing into the camera. She claims that such recordings capture the lighthearted and spontaneous spirit that has permeated her work as an illustrator and writer.
Mona Chalabi Husband | Kids
Chalabi prefers to maintain the privacy of her personal life. As a result, she hasn’t said anything about her romantic life. Therefore, it’s unclear if she’s married, dating, or engaged. It’s also unknown if she has children. As soon as the information is accessible in the spotlight, we’ll update you.
Mona Chalabi’s Height
Chalabi stands at approximately 5 feet 6 inches, which is considered an average stature for a woman.
Mona Chalabi Net Worth
Chalabi’s projected net worth ranges from $1 million to $5 million as of 2025. Her lucrative work as a journalist is the primary source of her income.
Mona Chalabi Salary
Chalabi receives an anticipated annual salary ranging from $45,500 to $110,500.
