As the year draws to a close, it’s common to take stock—and it can often feel like there’s little to celebrate. But if we look at the facts, it’s clear: humanity is moving forward despite the challenges. Over recent decades, changes have occurred that are hard to overstate. Life expectancy has increased, technology has become more accessible, and opportunities have expanded. This doesn’t mean problems have disappeared, but there are plenty of reasons to look to the future with hope.
Many people are convinced the world is heading for disaster, but statistics tell a different story. Wars, disease, and inequality still exist, but by a number of key indicators, things are getting better. For example, life expectancy has risen, and poverty rates have fallen. Even if changes aren’t always visible in daily life, they are happening—and that’s worth noting.
Advances in Healthcare
Average global life expectancy has risen by seven years since the start of the century and now stands at 73 years. Child mortality before age 15 has halved over the past twenty years. In 2000, 36% of the world’s population lived in extreme poverty; today, that number is just 10%. Over the past five years, China has lifted 50 million people out of poverty.
Girls are getting an education more often: in 2000, 47% of girls attended upper secondary school, today it’s 68%. At university, they have even surpassed young men. More and more people have access to electricity: from 78% in 2000 to 92% now. In Rwanda, that figure has risen from 6% to 64%.
Medical breakthroughs are making headlines. For the first time, an infant with a rare genetic disorder received personalized gene therapy, resulting in improved health. In Spain, thousands of babies have avoided hospitalization thanks to bronchiolitis vaccination. Teenagers in the country are now the soberest group in decades, with significantly reduced smoking and alcohol consumption.
Technology and science
Technological progress is transforming daily life. Europeans value messaging apps so much that they’d accept €500 per month to give up WhatsApp — yet this contribution isn’t counted in GDP, despite making us wealthier. Artificial intelligence is already advancing science: one AI system won a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad, while others have contributed to major scientific discoveries.
In 2025, self-driving taxis traveled 8 million kilometers on California roads. A new non-opioid painkiller has been introduced, reducing pain after surgery without addiction risk. In the US, the spread of new medications helped lower obesity rates, and hospital mortality from heart attacks has dropped from 40% to 10% since 1970. Cancer survival rates have doubled over the past 50 years.
For the first time ever, the Vera C. Rubin telescope has been built, set to scan the entire sky every three days. In India, SMS alerts and artificial intelligence helped save crops during the last monsoon season.
Ecology and energy
For the first time in history, renewable energy sources have surpassed coal in electricity production: 34% compared to 33%. Over the past seven years, solar energy generation has tripled. In Africa, electricity is reaching homes thanks to solar panels and payment via mobile apps.
For the first time, China has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in absolute terms by 2035. Projected emissions for 2040 are 40% lower than expected a decade ago. For the first time ever, the high seas will receive legal protection: 79 countries have ratified the corresponding treaty.
After a century, swimming in the Seine has been permitted again in Paris. In the Czech Republic, eight beavers built a dam in a few weeks that officials could not manage in seven years. Amsterdam is taking care of animals: mini-staircases have appeared in the city to prevent cats from drowning in the canals.
Society and equality
Homophobia is on the decline in Europe: the number of people with negative attitudes towards LGBT has decreased compared to 1998. In China, more girls are being born, and sex-selective abortions have dropped. In developing countries, 73% of women now have bank accounts—up from just 50% in 2014.
In the UK, the number of women on corporate boards has increased fivefold. American Sunita Williams set a new record for most spacewalks by a woman. The year 2025 set a new record for space launches—309 orbital missions.
No road deaths were recorded in Helsinki for a full year thanks to new safety measures. Spain celebrates 50 years of democracy: the country has become healthier, wealthier, better educated, and more just compared to 1975.
Small joys and discoveries
Modern technology supports people with disabilities: implants allow those who lost their sight due to retinal degeneration to read again. In the US, studies have proven that early introduction of allergens into infants’ diets reduces the risk of peanut allergy by 43%.
Stories from everyday life also inspire. In one letter, a reader shared how medical innovations helped him complete a course of chemotherapy. A viral YouTube video helped millions understand how artificial intelligence works. In 2003, two teenagers created a musical hit that became a global phenomenon.
Throughout human history, lack of communication has sometimes led to tragedy: in 1815, 2,000 soldiers died in a battle that should never have happened, because the war had already ended. Today we live in a world where information is instantly accessible and technology brings people closer together.
