Life is getting better all the time. Isn't it lovely to think so?

From the Chronicle of Higher Education:

Amid the contemporary drumbeat of bad news—war, climate change, political upheaval, economic crisis—a simple but profound and demonstrable message may be getting lost: From a global standpoint, quality of life is getting better.

Over the last 60 years in particular, the general picture is of rapid, historically unprecedented progress—progress that has been faster in the developing world than in the developed. That is true for measures covering health, education, civil and political rights, access to infrastructure, and a range of other indicators of well-being and opportunity.

For example, in the second half of the 20th century, world life expectancy increased to 69 from 51 years. Since 1960, global average infant mortality has been reduced by more than half. Nine million children born in 2006 who would have died in their first year if mortality rates had remained at their 1960 levels got to celebrate their first birthday. And the vast majority of those children lived in developing countries. In the 80 years from 1870 to 1950, the proportion of the world's population that could read increased from one-quarter to one-half, and from 1950 to 2000, it increased to four-fifths. Literacy rates in the sub-Saharan region increased to 61 from 28 between 1970 and the close of the century. Behind that progress is the rollout of schooling opportunities across the globe. Less than half of primary-age kids worldwide were enrolled in school in 1950, but by the end of the century the figure was closer to nine out of 10.

More:http://chronicle.com/article/Attention-Doomsayers-Global/126869/

The author has a new book out on this subject: