Background: Since the 1999 WHO Gothenburg consensus, health impact assessment (HIA) has evolved into a critical tool for evidence-based policy. However, a quantitative macro-level analysis of its global evolution over the last 2 decades remains scarce. Objectives: This study aims to quantify the global scientific production, identify key research hubs, map the intellectual structure, and detect emerging hotspots in HIA research from 2000 to 2022. Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection. Peer-reviewed English “Articles” published between 2000 and 2022 were included. To ensure bibliographic quality, records were manually screened to exclude irrelevant documents and early 2023 publications. Data analysis and visualization were performed using the R-package “bibliometrix” (version 4.1.2), VOSviewer, and ggplot2. Results: A total of 476 articles were included. The field exhibited a significant annual growth rate of 15.43%, with a notable surge after 2010. The United States (n = 80), the United Kingdom (n = 68), and Spain (n = 38) were the most productive countries. While traditional Western nations dominate, China is emerging as a significant research hub following the “Healthy China 2030” policy. Thematic analysis reveals a shift from foundational methodological concepts to specific environmental health determinants, particularly air pollution, particulate matter, and active transportation. The International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health was the most prolific journal, while Environmental Health Perspectives held the highest citation impact. Conclusions: HIA research has matured into a robust, interdisciplinary field characterized by quantitative modeling of urban determinants. Despite rapid growth, a significant “North-South” implementation gap exists. Future research should prioritize HIA applications in the Global South and integrate gray literature to better capture practical policy impacts.
Wang et al. (Fri,) studied this question.