Global poverty is falling, surprised?

I bet if I told you that global poverty is falling, you wouldn’t believe me. Similarly, both child deaths and deaths caused by HIV/AIDS have decreased worldwide. I’m tired of the bad news. There must be some great news in the word. It’s not healthy that we just focus on the problems in society.

All my life I have seen adverts talking about send money to this country to help them but we never heard of there being progress made. It was as if money being invested was going to a pyramid scheme. It’s no surprise that the vast majority don’t believe extreme poverty has decreased but increased.

The UN currently uses the World Bank’s previous $1.25 a day income measure to define extreme poverty. With this being said, poverty has more than halved in the last 30 years.

We need to show that the money is being invested is making a social return.

In numbers: the decline of global extreme poverty

1990: 1,959 billion = 37.1% of world’s population.

1999: 1,747 billion = 29% of world’s population.

2012: 902 million = 12.8% of world’s population.

2015: 702 million = 9.6% of world’s population.

The World Bank says the downward trend is due to strong growth rates in developing countries and investments in education, health, and social safety nets.

“This figure should serve as a rallying cry to the international community to take the fight against poverty to the next level. Our analysis and our advice can help guide the way toward ending extreme poverty by 2030, by showing where the poor live and where poverty is deepest.”

The United Nations recently announced its aim to end extreme poverty by 2030. It is one of 17 Global Goals unveiled at the UN General Assembly last week. I think they can do it. We can.

These are the things we should be talking about, not just the bad news. We need to show hope, possibility.

Look, there’s still 1.2 billion living in extreme poverty, there’s still progress to main but let’s for once look at how far we come and cherish the beauty in that.

Let’s continue the fight.

Update : The malaria death rate in sub-Saharan Africa has dropped by a stunning 57% since 2000. This progress is no accident: http://b-gat.es/2dGFhSF pic.twitter.com/rcIQyDv1Wg

Tweet me: @SamWorldPeace