Your Life In Numbers

Is life getting better or worse? Watching the news, it’s easy to become pessimistic. But don’t forget that reporting is often selective. Bad news leads to higher ratings, while good news is seldom covered. So, what is the real state of humanity? Consider the changes that have occurred in the world since the end of World War II.

In 1960, the average life expectancy at birth was only 51 years. In 2024, it was 74 years. That’s an increase of 45 percent.
Out of every 1,000 live births in 1969, 84 children died before reaching one year of age. That number was only 18 in 2024. That’s a decrease of 79 percent
Between 1960 and 2025, the average income per person rose from $4,000 to $12,000. That’s an inflation adjusted increase of 200 percent.
Between 1961 and 2023, the average food supply per person per day rose from 2,120 calories to 3,040 calories. That’s an increase of 43 percent.
In 1950, the length of schooling that a person aged 25+ could typically expect to receive was 2.94 years. In 2024, it was 8.4 years. That's a 186 percent increase.
The world’s electoral democracy index score rose from an average of 0.27 out of 1.0 in 1950 to an average of 0.39 out of 1.0 in 2024. That’s about a 44 percent increase.

How Does Your Data Compare?

Those are global improvements. What about life in your country? See the changes that have happened in your lifetime, and share the results with your family and friends – just enter the country and year of your birth.

Step 1: Select Birth Year

Step 2: Select Your Country of Birth

Data

How much has changed since

Note: Values displayed are based on the nearest match for birth year and current year

Of course, the pace of progress varies and depends on, among other things, ideas, policies and institutions in individual countries. For example, some of the greatest improvements in recent decades have been experienced by developing countries, which are increasingly participating in the global economy, growing, and catching up with the developed world – thus decreasing global inequality. To compare your results with your contemporaries elsewhere, follow Step 3 below.

Step 3: Select a Country to Compare

Data

This is how much and have changed since

Note: Values displayed are based on the nearest match for birth year and current year

About Our Data

"Your life in numbers" is brought to you by HumanProgress, which is a data-driven educational website devoted to improving the public's understanding of the state of the world. All of our statistics come from reputable sources.