It might come as a surprise given the violence and political turmoil that has dominated the news but 2025 is shaping as a pretty good year for the world’s average person.

That’s not to downplay the significance of the conflicts playing out across the globe. Peacefulness worldwide has declined for the past five years according to an index prepared by the Institute for Economics and Peace. The wars in Gaza and Ukraine are just two of 56 active conflicts identified by the institute; that’s the most “since the end of the Second World War”.

Illustration by Simon LetchCredit:

A United Nations preview of likely humanitarian needs this year described the world as being “on fire” and warned more than 300 million people will require emergency assistance in the months ahead. And yet, a raft of measures ranging from longevity to literacy suggests humanity is in better shape than ever.

After a brief dip during the pandemic, life spans are improving. Global life expectancy is at an all-time high of 73.3 years despite the prevalence of deadly conflict. That’s almost seven years longer than in 2000. (Australia does especially well on that count; figures published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in November show we have the world’s fourth-longest life expectancy at 83.2 years)

The world has also never been better able to care for its newborns – the share of children dying before reaching the........

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