<h2 class="wp-block-heading eplus-wrapper">Optimistic statistics</h2>

Do you think the world is getting better or worse? That was the question asked to thousands of people in 17 different countries. In the US, 6% thought things were improving. In the UK, it was just 4%.

Psychologists call this "declinism". It is the tendency to think the past was better and the future will be worse. People with declinist views ignore or reject evidence that the world is improving.

When you read the news, it is easy to find facts that support this idea. Bad news dominates the front pages, from war and political crises to climate change and the cost of living.

Good news, on the other hand, rarely makes a good headline. But that does not mean the world is on the way down. Here are eight statistics showing that things can get better:

Surviving childhood Over the last two centuries, the chances a new-born child will survive have increased from 50% to 96%.¹

Food for everyone The risk of dying from famine has dramatically decreased, even as the global population has increased.²

Education for girls In total, 50 million more girls have been enrolled in school since 2015.³ Globally, 90% of primary-school-age girls are in education, just 2% behind the boys.

Flourishing forests Rates of deforestation are slowing and the global area of planted forest increased by more than 10% between 2010-2020.⁴

Clean cash Global investment in clean energy reached $1.7 trillion a year, against just $1 trillion for fossil fuels.⁵

Electric engines Sales of electric cars have grown from 55,000 in 2011 to seven million in 2021.⁶ This has reduced demand for oil around the world.

Miracle cures In 2023, there were medical breakthroughs in the treatment of RSVA contagious virus that causes cold-like symptoms. , sickle cell diseaseA group of inherent disorders that cause unusually shaped red blood cells in sufferers. , Alzheimer's diseaseA progressive disease that causes brain damage over time. It is a common cause of dementia. and morning sicknessNausea during pregnancy. .⁷

Saving the seas The year 2023 also saw a new treaty signed by UNUnited Nations. An intergovernmental organisation based in New York that aims to maintain international peace and security. members, agreeing to protect 30% of the world's oceans by 2030.⁸

So why do people still feel pessimistic? One reason might be that our brains are designed to worry about bad things happening: for example, we often remember criticisms for far longer than compliments. This is known as negativity bias.

But it is also true that some aspects of life are in decline. Critics are right to point out the risk from nuclear conflict or another pandemic. And we must be aware of changes caused by AI or climate change.

However, it is easy to exaggerate these risks in our mind. This is especially true given widespread access to social media. Today, you can have live updates on almost every bad thing that is taking place.

For instance, violent crime in the US has been falling since the 1990s, yet the majority of the American population believe that it is getting worse. More crimes are not actually taking place, but the public have more information about them now.

Taking a more positive view does not mean ignoring every problem. Instead, it means paying attention to the good news as well as the bad. The glass is half empty and half full.

Should we be more cheerful?

Yes: From girls' education to clean energy investment, once you search beyond the headlines, there are enough reasons to feel optimistic about the future.

No: Looking at the risk of AI or the latest climate science, it is hard to feel hopeful. But worrying about the future makes it more likely that humans will survive.

Or... To say that progress is being made does not mean that everything is good. People can recognise society's achievements, while still working to improve the world.

RSV - A contagious virus that causes cold-like symptoms.

Sickle cell disease - A group of inherent disorders that cause unusually shaped red blood cells in sufferers. 

Alzheimer's disease - A progressive disease that causes brain damage over time. It is a common cause of dementia.

Morning sickness - Nausea during pregnancy.

UN - United Nations. An intergovernmental organisation based in New York that aims to maintain international peace and security.