📈 Human Progress
In the last decades humanity has made great progress with less extreme poverty, increased health, wealth and democracy. We follow in the tradition of professor Hans Rosling.
💣 Terrorism deaths at lowest level since 2007
The number of people killed in terrorism dropped by 28 percent globally in 2025, to a total of 5,582. The number of terrorist attacks decreased by 22 percent, to 2,944 incidents. These are the lowest figures recorded since 2007.
🧒 Global child mortality has decreased by 60 percent since 1990
Mortality among children under five has fallen by approximately 60 percent since 1990, thanks to investments in vaccinations, newborn care and nutrition. Mortality among newborns has decreased by 45 percent during the same period.
🧒 Child poverty in Sweden drops to lowest level in ten years
The share of children living in families with a low income standard has fallen from 10 percent to 6 percent since 2014. 56 percent of all children live in families with a high income standard, that corresponds to more than 1.2 million children.
📰 Trust in journalists has nearly doubled in 20 years
44 percent of Swedes have high or fairly high trust in journalists, according to the latest survey from the SOM Institute. The share has risen from 24 percent in 2004, nearly doubling over two decades. At the same time, the share who think journalists do their job poorly has been cut in half.
🚭 The share of Americans who smoke has dropped to a historic low
Less than ten percent of American adults smoked cigarettes in 2024, the first time the rate has reached single digits. Reduced smoking has contributed to nearly four million lung cancer deaths being averted between 1970 and 2022.
🏠 Americans have tripled their living space per person since 1950
The average living space per person in the US has increased from about 290 square feet in 1950 to over 890 square feet in 2024. The share of overcrowded homes has fallen from over 20% in 1940 to under 6%.
🦋 Rewilding in Scotland leads to sharply increased biodiversity
Rewilded land in Scotland has increased the number of suitable breeding territories for birds by 546% compared to non-rewilded land. The number of bumblebees and butterflies has increased more than tenfold, and the network is now estimated to support 2.5 million pollinating insects.
⛓️ Forced labor has nearly disappeared in the world
In 1789, 165 of 174 countries had large-scale forced labor – by 2024, only nine countries remained. The fastest change occurred after World War II, when the number of countries with widespread forced labor dropped from nearly 100 to 31 in just one generation.
🦋 The lord of the pessimists is dead – this was his great mistake
Dr. Paul Ehrlich has passed away. He was a cheerful pessimist who viewed humans as insects.