Test yourself
Is the world better or worse than you think?
Hans Rosling asked thousands of people simple questions about the state of the world and found they scored worse than random — because we systematically believe things are worse than they are. Take the interactive quiz — guess before you see → Below are the questions and the answers most people get wrong.
In the last 20 years, the share of the world living in extreme poverty has…
Almost halved. In 2000 about 29% of the world lived in extreme poverty. Today it is around 9% — one of the fastest improvements in human history. Understand →
How many of the world's one-year-olds are vaccinated against at least one disease?
About 8 in 10. About 86% of the world’s one-year-olds have had at least one vaccination — a quiet triumph most people badly underestimate. Understand →
Since 1800, the share of children who die before their fifth birthday has gone from about…
Over 4 in 10, to under 1 in 25. In 1800 roughly 43% of children died before age five. Today it is under 4% worldwide. Understand →
What is global average life expectancy today?
About 73 years. Global life expectancy is about 73 years, up from around 30 in 1800. Understand →
Over the last 100 years, annual deaths from natural disasters have…
Fallen by more than half. Deaths from natural disasters have fallen by roughly 75% or more over the last century — thanks to early warning and sturdier infrastructure — even as populations grew. Understand →
What share of the world's adults can read?
About 87%. About 87% of adults worldwide can read, up from around 10% two centuries ago. Understand →
The number of people living in extreme poverty since 1990 has…
Fallen by more than a billion. It fell from about 1.9 billion in 1990 to under 700 million today — while world population grew by more than 2.5 billion. Understand →
What share of the world has access to electricity today?
About 90%. About 90% of the world now has electricity, up from around 71% in 1990. Understand →
Compared with pre-industrial times, atmospheric CO₂ has…
Risen about 50%. CO₂ has risen from about 280 ppm before industrialisation to over 420 today — roughly a 50% increase. This is the one that genuinely got worse. Understand →
What share of primary-school-age girls are NOT in school worldwide?
Under 10%. More than 90% of primary-age girls are now in school, near parity with boys — though gaps remain in the poorest regions. Understand →
Since 1970, the share of people who are undernourished has…
Fallen substantially. It fell from around 28% in 1970 to under 10%, though it has ticked back up recently with conflict and COVID. Understand →
New HIV infections per year, since their 1990s peak, have…
Fallen by more than half. New HIV infections have fallen roughly 60% from their mid-1990s peak, thanks to treatment and prevention. Understand →