📈 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.
🐚 Laos pushes back parasitic disease to below one percent
In the worst-affected areas of Laos, the share of people infected with the snail-borne parasitic disease schistosomiasis has dropped to below one percent, down from over 40 percent in some areas in 2003.
🌾 Indian scientists have bred rice that handles both flood and drought
India has bred two rice varieties for opposite water problems. One yields nearly 50 percent more in flood years with no penalty in normal years. The other yields up to 35 percent more in dry conditions and grows in dry soil, without flooded paddies. The poorest farmers gain the most.
🪪 Millions in Benin now have an official identity, opening access to school and banking
In 2017, about 20% of Benin's population had no official papers. Now, nearly 99% of Benin's population is registered in a biometric ID system. An official identity provides access to school, a bank account, credit, and a business of one's own.
💵 Labor poverty in Mexico falls to 30.7 percent
The share of Mexico's population whose labor income is not enough to cover the food fell to 30.7 percent in the first quarter of 2026. The decline was 3.2 percentage points compared with the same period in 2025. The drop is seen both in rural areas and in cities.
📉 Child marriage and intimate partner violence continue to decline in India
The share of girls married off as children has fallen to 20.1 percent. The share of women subjected to violence by their partner has dropped to 22.3 percent. Intimate partner violence has decreased by nearly seven percentage points since the previous survey.
📉 Deaths from intestinal infections have fallen by two-thirds since 1990, from 3.7 to 1.3 million
The rotavirus vaccine, introduced globally in 2006, is up to 98 percent effective against severe illness in infants in high-income countries. The share of deaths affecting children under five fell from 53 percent in 1990 to 30 percent in 2023.
🤑 New research: Freer economies grew without harming the environment
A study of 49 economic liberalizations shows that GDP per person rose 16 percent within ten years. Total greenhouse gas emissions did not increase, and deaths from air pollution declined. After the year 2000, emissions fell both per person and per dollar of economic output.
🌊 Chad's capital weathered record water levels without major damage
N'Djamena sits where the Chari and Logone rivers meet, leaving it highly exposed to flooding. During the 2024 rainy season the city protected 1.5 million residents even as rivers hit record levels, after clearing 217 miles of drainage and deploying 12 mobile pumps.
🇺🇳 The number of refugees in the world fell last year for the first time in a decade
The global number of refugees dropped by 3 percent during 2025 to 41.6 million. A total of 14.7 million displaced people returned to their home or origin areas during the year. Nearly 46,000 stateless people gained citizenship across 24 countries.