Daily Data InsightsPublic social spending has increased very substantially in the 20th century

September 10, 2024

Public social spending has increased very substantially in the 20th century

Line chart titled 'Public social spending as a share of GDP' illustrating the proportion of GDP spent on social spending, which includes health, old age, incapacity-related benefits, family, active labor market programs, unemployment, and housing, from 1880 to 2016. The chart includes data for eight countries: France, Sweden, Germany, Japan, United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and Canada. All countries show a general upward trend in social spending as a share of GDP. Data source is Our World in Data based on OECD and Lindert (2004).

The chart shows that in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, governments’ social spending amounted to very little. Countries spent, at most, 1 to 2% of their national income on public social services.

This changed significantly over the 20th century: public social spending in wealthy countries now amounts to between 15% and 30% of national income.

The biggest reasons for this increase are higher expenditure on healthcare and education.

This data comes from the OECD and Peter Lindert’s history of social spending.

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A line chart showing Japan's birth rate from 1950 to 2023. Highlighted is a sharp dip in 1966, where birth rate drops over 20%, from 18.5 to 14.5 births per 1000 people. In 1967 the line returns back to around 19 births per 1000 people.

Today

Japan’s birth rate dropped sharply in 1966, influenced by cultural beliefs

Demographic trends, such as births and deaths, can be influenced by many factors. Wars or pandemics can lead to higher death rates, while lower child mortality and access to contraception reduce the number of births.

But specific cultural beliefs can also have a strong effect, as in Japan in 1966. As you can see in the chart, the UN estimates that births decreased by about 20% from 1965 to 1966.

The reason behind this drop is unusual. Children born in 1966 had the “fire horse” as their birth sign. According to astrological predictions, women born that year would bring bad fortune, especially for their future husbands.

Families who either believed this, or wanted to avoid the risk of their daughters having difficulty in the marriage market, chose not to have children that year. Couples may have abstained or used contraception, and in addition, the induced abortion rate in 1966 was significantly higher than in the surrounding years.

The next year of the fire horse is 2026. With the decline of these beliefs in Japan, fewer arranged marriages (where the birth sign might be a significant factor), and generally declining birth rates, we are unlikely to see this sharp drop in births again.

Explore more data on births and fertility in our Population & Demography explorer →

Bar chart showing milk consumption per person across regions. Europe is the highest, followed by North America. Asia and Africa are both below the global average.

Yesterday

Europeans consume more milk and dairy products than in other regions

On average, Europeans consume more dairy products than people in other regions.

This chart shows the milk supply per person in each of the world’s regions. This is based on data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It’s based on supply — the amount of milk available for consumption. It includes consumer waste, so it is a bit higher than the amount that is consumed in the end.

As you can see, the per-capita supply for Europe is more than twice the global average. People across Africa and Asia consume far less.

These numbers include dairy products such as yogurt and cheese, based on how much milk is used to produce them.

Explore country-by-country data on milk supply →

A line graph titled "Regional trends in average years of schooling, 2000 to 2022" shows the average number of years that adults over 25 participated in formal education across different regions. The vertical axis represents years of schooling, ranging from 0 to 8 years, with marked lines at 2, 4, 6, and 8 years. The horizontal axis indicates the years from 2000 to 2022.

Four distinct data series are represented by colored lines:

- **Latin America and the Caribbean**
- **East Asia and the Pacific**
- **South Asia**
- **Sub-Saharan Africa**

A note on the graph emphasizes that both Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have seen significant improvements in average years of schooling. The data source is indicated as the UNDP, Human Development Report (2024).
Four distinct data series are represented by colored lines:

- **Latin America and the Caribbean** (purple line) shows a consistent increase, reaching just above 8 years in 2022.
- **East Asia and the Pacific** (blue line) gradually rises, reaching around 6 years in 2022.
- **South Asia** (red line) increases to slightly below 6 years, reflecting slow growth over the years.
- **Sub-Saharan Africa** (green line) shows a gradual increase, with a 50% rise since 2000, adding about 2 years, reaching close to 4 years by 2022.

A note on the graph emphasizes that both Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have seen significant improvements in average years of schooling. The data source is indicated as the UNDP, Human Development Report (2024). The graph is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY).

December 11

People across developing regions are spending far more time in school than 20 years ago

In 2000, adults in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa had, on average, fewer than five years of schooling. That’s not enough to complete primary education.

But, as the chart shows, a lot of progress has been made since then. Adults older than 25 have gained more than two additional years of schooling, a 50% increase since 2000.

Latin American and East Asian countries have also made substantial gains, starting from a higher baseline.

This data is about adults. Children today can expect many more years of schooling, showing just how much progress has been made.

Of course, simply being in school isn’t enough; kids also need to learn while they’re there. And while more years of schooling generally mean more learning opportunities, it’s important to remember that millions of children in these regions still aren’t in school at all.

Discover more insights on access to basic education →

Since 2010, primary school enrollment in Sub-Saharan Africa has stalled, and is still far behind the levels that North America and Western Europe achieved decades ago

December 10

Since 2010, progress in primary school enrollment in Sub-Saharan Africa has stalled

Over the past two centuries, the global share of children enrolled in primary school has increased dramatically. In 1820, fewer than 1 in 20 children were enrolled in primary school. Today, the figure is nearly 9 out of 10.

Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, made remarkable progress for several decades, with enrollment rising from 57% in 1985 to 77% by 2010. Yet, as the chart shows, progress has stalled in the past decade, plateauing just under 80%.

In North America and Western Europe, near-universal primary school enrollment was achieved by the mid-1900s, with rates consistently above 95% since 1985.

Explore how far the world has come in expanding access to basic education and how much further we have to go →

Cancer death rates rise sharply with age. So, as the population grows and ages, we would expect the rate of cancer deaths to rise.
If we look at how death rates have changed for people of the same ages, the picture looks different.
National data from the United States, which comes from the WHO Mortality Database, is shown in the chart.
You can see that the “crude death rate”, which doesn’t adjust for aging, shows a rise and modest decline in cancer death rates since 1950.
But the “age-standardized death rate” shows a significant decline since its peak in 1990; it has fallen by one-third. This means that, within the same age groups, people in 2021 had a cancer death rate one-third lower than those in 1990. In other words, at the same ages, people are one-third less likely to die from cancer.
This decline results from several factors: better screening and earlier diagnosis, medical advances in cancer treatments, and public health efforts to reduce risk factors, like smoking and exposure to carcinogens.

December 09

Americans are now one-third less likely to die from cancer at the same ages as Americans in 1990

How has the risk of dying from cancer changed in the United States?

To understand this, we can look at national cancer death rates in the United States.

The gray line shows the crude rate, which is the rate of deaths from cancer per 100,000 people. It has risen between 1950 and 1990 and has fallen slightly since then.

However, cancer death rates rise sharply with age, and the age of the US population has increased since 1950, so we would expect cancer death rates to rise for that reason alone.

What if we adjust for the increased age of the US population?

The red line, the age-standardized rate, shows this. It shows the cancer death rate if the age structure of the US population was held constant throughout.

This shows a slight rise until 1990 and then a significant decline; rates have fallen by one-third.

This means Americans are now one-third less likely to die from cancer at the same ages as Americans in 1990.

This comes from several factors: better screening and earlier diagnosis, medical advances in cancer treatments, and public health efforts to reduce risk factors like smoking and exposure to carcinogens.

Explore this trend in other countries →

Chart showing the average number of cows, pigs, and chickens slaughtered for meat worldwide per second in 2022. It's 10 cows, 47 pigs, and 2400 chickens per second.

December 06

Every second, 10 cows, 47 pigs, and 2,400 chickens are slaughtered for meat

Around the world, 10 cows, 47 pigs, and 2,400 chickens get killed for meat every second.

Recent estimates suggest that 99% of livestock in the United States is factory-farmed. Globally, the majority of animals are raised on factory farms.

For many of these animals, life is short and painful.

Newborn calves are typically taken from their mothers shortly after birth, causing distress for both. Castrating and cutting off piglets' tails without anesthesia is common practice. Chickens grow so quickly that after six weeks, many struggle to stand for long and spend most of their time lying down. These animals require high doses of antibiotics to survive in poor living conditions.

There are ways to make life less harsh for farm animals. Reducing meat consumption can lessen the demand for factory farming and its associated harms. Moreover, slowing chicken growth rates or giving hens better living spaces can help reduce their suffering.

These figures are based on estimates from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Explore many more charts in our Animal Welfare Explorer →

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. In several countries, it is the most common cause of death.
But which cancers cause the most deaths?
This map shows the data for men. It presents the most common type of cancer death, based on the cause listed on death certificates, compiled by the WHO Mortality Database. Many countries are not shown as they lack sufficient death registration.
Lung cancer is the most common in many countries. In several others, especially in South America, prostate cancer leads.
In Iran, stomach cancer, and in Mongolia and Egypt, liver cancer, are the most common.
Many of these cancers are preventable. Stomach cancer, for example, has declined almost ten-fold in the last seventy years in the United States thanks to improvements in food safety, hygiene, and antibiotics. Meanwhile, lung cancer death rates have halved since their peak with the fall of smoking.

December 05

Which type of cancer kills the most men in each country?

Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. In several countries, it is the most common cause of death.

But which cancer types cause the most deaths?

The map presents the most common type of cancer death among men. This is based on the cause listed on death certificates, compiled by the WHO Mortality Database. Unfortunately, many countries are not shown as they lack sufficient death registration.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of male cancer deaths in many countries, primarily driven by smoking.

In parts of Latin America, prostate cancer leads. Although it has high survival rates in richer countries, it is common and can reach late stages before diagnosis, which limits treatment options.

Stomach cancer — shown in purple on the map — is the leading cause in several Central Asian countries. It is primarily caused by H. pylori infections. In wealthier countries, infections have declined thanks to better food safety, hygiene, and antibiotics.

Liver cancer, leading in Mongolia, Thailand, and Egypt, is often the result of inflammation caused by long-term alcohol consumption or hepatitis virus infection.

Learn more about the rates of different cancers and how they have changed over time →