January 31, 2025
Internet access has grown rapidly over the last few decades. It lets us connect with people across countries and continents, helps students learn and apply for jobs, and is even the primary mode of banking in some parts of the world.
But having access to fast internet also matters. This is also changing quickly.
In 2015, less than half — 44% — of the world population was in the range of a 4G network. That figure is now 90%. In the chart, you can see that this has increased quickly across many regions. This data comes from the International Telecommunication Union.
Note that being in the range of a 4G network doesn’t mean that someone is using it. If people don’t have a mobile, computer, or service to connect, they might be in the range of a network but not online.
Explore more charts on technological change across the world →
February 07
To mitigate the negative impacts of climate change, the world needs to quickly transition from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy sources such as solar power.
The chart shows how much this transition has accelerated in the last two decades.
In 2004, it took the world about a year to add one gigawatt of solar power capacity. By 2023, the same amount was added, on average, every single day.
For reference, a gigawatt of solar is enough to power approximately 200,000 homes in the US.
Much of this growth has been driven by China, which by 2023 accounted for about 43% of the cumulative installed capacity worldwide.
A big reason for this acceleration has been a large decrease in the price of solar panels. Since 2001, the price has dropped by about 95%, from $6.21 to $0.31 per watt.
Learn more about why renewables like solar became so cheap so fast →
February 06
Religion means less to people in some English-speaking countries than it did 30 years ago.
The chart shows a clear downward trend in the share of people who see religion as important in their lives. This is based on surveys across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, from 1993 to 2022.
The United States stands out as the country with the highest percentage of people who consider religion important, though this has declined from 79% to 61%. The shift was even sharper in Canada, falling from 61% to 35%.
Religion was already less important to people in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand but in all three countries, this share dropped by more than a quarter.
Explore this data on the importance of religion for many more countries →
February 05
The “golden age of antibiotics” lasted from the early 1940s to the late 1960s. It was a period of rapid innovation that transformed medicine. As highlighted in this chart, nearly two-thirds of all antibiotic drug classes were introduced during this period.
Scientists explored natural sources — such as fungi and bacteria — and synthetic sources.
This led to breakthroughs in antibiotics derived from soil-dwelling bacteria, such as streptomycin, tetracyclines, and macrolides, and the mass production of penicillin, which Alexander Fleming discovered in 1928.
However, progress slowed after the 1970s as pharmaceutical companies shifted their focus to chronic diseases. Today, there is a renewed need for innovation to tackle antibiotic resistance.
Read my article on the golden age of antibiotics and how we can spark a new one →
February 04
We can expect to live more than twice as long as our ancestors in 1900.
As the chart shows, global average life expectancy was just 32 years at the beginning of the 20th century.
This was a short life by today’s standards: in 2023, the average life expectancy had increased to 73 years. That’s 41 years longer.
This remarkable increase is due to improved living standards, like better nutrition and sanitation, and advances in healthcare, such as antibiotics and vaccines.
While large declines in child mortality have been crucial, they have not been the only reason for the increase in life expectancy; it has increased across all ages.
Read more in our article “Twice as long – life expectancy around the world” →
February 03
Lithium is a critical component in many industries, including pharmaceuticals, optics, ceramics, and glass. But it’s best known for its use in batteries. Most rechargeable batteries in mobile phones, laptops, and consumer electronics are made from lithium-ion chemistries.
It’s also receiving increasing attention as a critical mineral in batteries for electric cars and storage for renewable energy.
Just a handful of countries supply the world’s lithium. In the chart, you can see each country’s share of global mined production in 2023. Australia produced almost half. Combined with China, Chile, and Argentina, these four countries produced over 90% of the total.
Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia form the so-called “lithium triangle”, which are large lithium deposits that span across these three countries. While Bolivia has huge lithium resources, it has produced very little so far.
This data comes from the United States Geological Survey.
Explore which countries produce other critical minerals in our data explorer →
January 30
Women’s representation in national politics has increased dramatically in the last century.
But men still hold more parliamentary seats in almost every country. There are three exceptions: Cuba, Nicaragua, and Rwanda.
You can see this in the map. Most countries are in blue, meaning they have a higher share of men; in many countries, they make up more than 75% of the seats (shown in darker blue).
Look closely enough, and you can see the three countries in red that have more women.
This data comes from V-Dem and is based on parliamentary seats in 2023.
Explore how the share of women in parliament has changed in other countries →
