Reasons to be happy: ways the world is getting better

Now is the best time to be alive. You may not feel like it is, but much of the data says otherwise.

Global life expectancy, health, wealth and safety are better than ever, and the percentage of the world’s people living in extreme poverty is decreasing every day.

People around the world are living longer, better lives than they were even 50 years ago.

But let’s be clear – the world still faces massive challenges. We’re a long way from solving climate change, poverty and disease, but history shows that people are capable of rising to the biggest challenges and solving problems that once seemed insurmountable.

There are definitely reasons to be cheerful.