Is life getting better or worse? Watching the news, it’s easy to become pessimistic. But don’t forget that reporting is often selective. Bad news leads to higher ratings, while good news is seldom covered. So, what is the real state of humanity? Consider the changes that have occurred in the world over the last half-century.

In 1966, average life expectancy was only 56 years. In 2016, it was 72. That’s an increase of 29 percent.

Out of every 1,000 infants born, 113 died before their first birthday. In 2016, only 32 died. That’s a reduction of 72 percent.

Average income per person rose from $3,698 to over $17,469, or by 372 percent – and that’s adjusted for inflation.

The food supply rose from about 2,300 calories per person per day to over 2,800 calories, an increase of 22 percent, thus reducing hunger.

The length of schooling that a person could typically expect to receive was 4.15 years. In 2016, it was 8.71 years – a 110 percent increase.

On a scale from 0, which denotes autocracy, to 10, which denotes democracy, political freedom rose from 4.55 in 1966 to 7.05 in 2016. That’s an improvement of 55 percent.

Those are global improvements. What about life in your country? See the changes that have happened in your lifetime, and share the results with your family and friends – just enter the country and year of your birth.