May 05, 2025
Mobile phones have achieved what few technologies do: they’ve been adopted rapidly by people all over the world, in both rich and poor regions.
The chart shows how mobile subscriptions grew between 2000 and 2023. This is given per 100 people in each world region. If the number is over 100, it means some people own more than one mobile device. (This data doesn’t tell us the percentage of people with a phone, as some individuals own multiple devices.)
Mobile phone subscriptions have risen sharply everywhere in just a few decades. Even in the poorest parts of the world, like Sub-Saharan Africa, subscriptions grew from just 2 per 100 people to 89. In South Asia, they went from less than 1 to 84.
Still, this rise matters because mobile phones allow people to learn, connect, and build, even in places without physical infrastructure (like roads or banks). For example, mobile money systems enable people to save, send, and receive money without needing a bank branch or an Internet connection. This has helped millions improve their financial security.
Today
Global trade has never been a bigger slice of the world economy. However, China, the country that most people think of as the export giant, has seen a decline in its trade-to-GDP ratio in the last 15 years.
The chart shows China’s trade in goods and services as a share of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In 1970, it was just 5%. Following Deng Xiaoping's economic reforms, which opened China to market forces and international trade, this figure soared to 64% in 2006. But since then, it has fallen considerably, reaching 37% in 2023. China's exports have grown in dollar terms, but its economy has expanded even faster, making trade a shrinking share of the whole.
While the 2008 financial crisis disrupted global trade, China’s trajectory also reflects the increase in domestic demand for its production. For years, Chinese officials have advocated rebalancing the economy away from export dependence and toward one driven by domestic consumption. A rising middle class now buys more of what China produces, reducing its reliance on international markets.
Explore more data on our Trade and Globalization page →
July 09
Globally, the share of the population living in extreme poverty has declined fast, from 38% in 1990 to 9% in 2024.
Some countries, however, have not made any progress against poverty. Four of them are in Southeast Africa, as shown in the chart. In Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, and Madagascar, most people still live in extreme poverty, and this hasn’t changed in decades.
Poverty has remained high because these economies have not achieved economic growth in recent decades.
In the 1990s, most extremely poor people lived in countries that went on to have strong economic growth. Today, however, a substantial share of the poorest people live in economies that have not grown in decades. Based on current trends, this means that the world cannot expect an end to extreme poverty.
Whether or not the economies that are home to the poorest people in the world start to grow will determine whether the world ends extreme poverty.
I’ve written more about this in “The history of the end of poverty has just begun”, where I explain why economic growth is key to ending poverty →
July 07
In the late 1990s, Sri Lanka had one of the highest suicide rates in the world: three times the global average and four times the rate in countries like the United States or the United Kingdom.
The most frequent method of suicide was self-poisoning, particularly from pesticides.
But since then, suicide rates have fallen by almost two-thirds. You can see this in the chart.
The biggest driver of this improvement was the banning of particularly toxic pesticides. Two highly hazardous pesticides were initially banned in 1984, and five more were banned in 1995. This slowed the growth in suicide rates, and the trend eventually turned the corner into a strong decline.
Sri Lanka’s experience in the last few decades makes it clear that suicide rates are not “fixed” at a particular level, and there are things that can be done to reduce them.
Suicide rates have declined in many countries over decades: read our insight →
July 04
How many hours have you used electricity today? For me, it’s probably all of them — from charging my phone overnight to working on my laptop, exercising with my watch, and listening to music through my earphones. It's so normal that I can't imagine life without it.
But life without electricity is a reality for millions in Sub-Saharan Africa. This map shows the share of people with access to electricity across the region. This is defined as having a source that can provide basic lighting, charge a phone, or power a radio for just 4 hours daily.
Look at the countries in dark red: in Chad, only 12% of people have access. In the Democratic Republic of Congo — a country of over 100 million people — it's just 22%. Overall, 85% of people worldwide who lack access to electricity now live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
There are bright spots, though. Countries like Kenya, where more than three-quarters of people now have electricity, show that progress in the region is possible.
Explore more data on access to electricity →
July 02
Most of us have heard that smoking damages the lungs. The chart drives this home: in the US, men who smoke are around 21 times more likely to die from lung cancer than men who have never smoked.
But the damage doesn’t stop there: smoking also increases the risk of other cancers, including mouth, throat, bladder and pancreatic cancer, in addition to other health conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart disease, and diabetes.
Why does one habit harm so many organs? Cigarettes carry a mixture of carcinogens that reach — and damage — tissues throughout the body. Smoking also injures blood vessels, fuels inflammation, and makes it easier for tumors to spread.
Because a single behavior poses so many risks, cutting smoking rates has been one of the most powerful tools to save lives and improve public health.
Explore more data and research on smoking on our dedicated page →
June 30
In 1990, one in four newborns in Malawi died before their fifth birthday.
At that time, the average number of births per woman was almost seven. This meant that many families experienced the tragedy of losing a child.
But in recent decades, Malawi has made incredible progress. As you can see in the chart, the child mortality rate has dropped to 1 in 25 children — an 84% reduction.
Many factors have contributed to this decline. The expansion of antenatal care and the attendance of skilled health professionals at birth have been crucial in saving newborns in the earliest days of life. Increasing vaccination rates, distributing insecticide-treated bed nets and antimalarials, and programs to stop the transmission of HIV have all reduced the risks of dying in infancy.
Read more about the role that vaccines have played in reducing child mortality →
June 27
Italy has become much safer over the last thirty years.
In the early 1990s, there were around 3 homicides per 100,000 people every year. That was one of the highest rates in Europe.
Since then, rates have fallen by more than 80%. As you can see in the chart, they have been around 0.5 per 100,000 in recent years. That now makes Italy safer than many of its European neighbours.
Mafia-related homicides dropped dramatically in the 1990s following intensified efforts from the Italian government. Some of this organized crime may have also shifted from violent acts towards financial and “white collar” crime.
While estimates can vary across data sources, for Italy, they show strong agreement →
