“Most people are unaware that extreme poverty has been declining over time, despite its drastic reduction. In a recent survey, only 5 percent of Americans knew that the global extreme poverty had almost halved in the past 20 years. Two-thirds of respondents incorrectly thought it had doubled over that period.
One person escapes extreme poverty every second.
If Americans were more aware of the stunning progress in reducing global poverty, perhaps they would be less pessimistic about the current situation or the outlook for the future.”
We’re Seeing Massive Reductions in Global Poverty | Charles Hughes
The escape from destitution and uncertainty of subsistence farming is one of the greatest accomplishments of the modern world. More people live longer, healthier, more peaceful lives today than anytime in the past. Recognizing the enormous, positive effect of this gradual transformation is an important tonic to the narrative of pervasive problems and pessimism.