Do you think every thing in the world is terrible? Don't worry - these things are on the way up.
Access to Water:
Between 1980 and today, global access to safe water sources has increased from 58% to 91%. Improving water sources worldwide is integral to reducing poverty and increasing food security.
Agricultural Output:
Our annual cereal yield has nearly tripled since 1960. By 2050, food production will have to double to feed the world’s population.
Electricity Coverage:
Between 1994 and 2014, electricity coverage expanded from 75% to 85%. In the last decade, consumption of renewable energy has soared by 209%.
Protected Nature Reserves:
In 1962, there were 9,214 protected nature reserves. Today, there are over 200,000. Still, less than 20% of the world’s key biodiversity areas enjoy full protection.
Scientific Research:
Between 1665 and 2016, the number of scientific articles published every year grew from 119 to 2,550,000. Today’s global scientific output continues to double, on average, every 9 years.
Immunization From Disease:
Since 1980, the number of 1-year olds who receive at least one vaccination per year has risen from 22% to 88%. With only 22 cases in 2017, the world is now closer than ever to eradicating polio.
Global Literacy:
Since 1800, the world literacy rate has leaped from roughly 10% to 85%. Unfortunately, two thirds of the world’s illiterate population are women.
Female Education:
The number of girls enrolled in primary school went up from 65% in 1970 to 90% in 2015. If all women had a secondary education, the number of child deaths each year would drop by 3 million.
Internet Access:
In 1995, only 0.4% of the world’s population had internet access. Today, roughly 54% of people are online. Between 2016 and 2017 alone, the number of internet users increased by 500 million.
People Living Under Democracy:
Since 1816, the amount of people living in a democracy has grown from 1% to roughly 50% of the world’s population. Of the world’s 195 nations, 49 are still not considered to be free countries.
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This article by Pierre Köchel was originally published on INSH.world and appears here with permission.
