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........

© The Sydney Morning Herald