Reading news headlines, it’s easy to get pessimistic about the state of world affairs. On nearly a daily basis, there are reports of violence, tragedies, division and injustice. As Christians, this should be concerning, and it should prompt us to take action to help those who are suffering.
But, we must also remember that we are called to hope. And part of that hope is recognizing not only the bad news, but also celebrating the good news.
Yes, we should stay vigilant, fight injustice and seek new ways to serve those in need in help. But fear, pessimism and misplaced outrage are the wrong approach to taking action. Instead, we are called to have “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”
After all, redeeming brokenness is what Jesus was all about.
Here’s a look at eight actual stats that show why we should be hopeful about our future. They aren’t reasons to be complacent about problems or issues facing communities around the world; but they’re reminders of how far we’ve come, and how much further we need to go.
1. You Are Living in the Most Peaceful Time in Human History
Though the global human population has never been higher, you are statistically less likely to die from an act of violence than any other time in history.
2. Global Hunger Is on the Decline
Though food shortages are still a serious problem, according to the U.N., 200 million fewer people currently go malnourished than 25 years ago. And several countries who were on the brink of famine have made serious progress over the last decade.
3. In Many Parts of the World, the Infant Mortality Rate Has Never Been Lower
As a WHO report noted, the global child mortality rate has dropped by 59%, from 93 deaths per 1000 live births in 1990 to 37 in 2022.
4. The Global Literacy Rate Is 87 Percent
Though hundreds of millions still lack basic literacy skills, there have been major improvements: The global literacy rate was just 66 percent in 1957.
5. The Bible Is Becoming More Accessible
Parts of the Bible have now been translated into more than 3,658 languages, and a team of researchers is currently using AI to translate Scriptures into even more languages.
6. People Are Living Longer
In the last century and a half, the global life expectancy has doubled.
7. Since 1990, 2.6 billion more people have gained access to clean drinking water.
The proportion of the global population with access to safely managed drinking water has increased from 62% in 2000 to 74% in 2020. And since 2000, the number of children who died because of waterborne illnesses has been cut in half.
8. Future Generations May Never Experience Extreme Poverty
Though there are currently more than 1 billion people living in extreme poverty, The World Bank say they hope global economic initiatives can eliminate extreme poverty by 2030. The Covid-19 pandemic reversed the decline in extreme poverty, but experts began seeing trends last year that predict the economy will stabilize again and future generations might never deal with extreme poverty again.
