Numbers Behind Lives: A True Picture of Our World
There are 8 billion of us.
For most people, that’s just a big number. They hear it, read it in the news, nod, and forget.
But what if we imagined this vast world in percentages? What if we saw our planet not merely as an abstract figure, but as a community where everyone has their place?
Where Do People Live?
If we imagine all the people on Earth as 100%, we’d find:
11% live in Europe
5% in North America
9% in South America
15% in Africa
60% in Asia
In other words, Asia is a true giant, home to more than half of the world’s population.
Meanwhile:
49% of people live in rural areas
51% in cities
Cities are expanding, yet almost half of humanity remains connected to the land.
Which Languages Are Spoken Around the World?
Despite the prevalence of English, the picture looks a bit different:
12% speak Chinese
5% Spanish
5% English
3% Arabic
3% Hindi
3% Bengali
3% Portuguese
2% Russian
2% Japanese
62% speak other languages not on this list
The world is far more multilingual than it seems at first glance.
Who Lives in Comfort, and Who Lives in Need?
Here’s what the numbers say:
77% of people have a roof over their heads
23% do not have permanent housing
Food:
21% of people overeat
63% eat enough
15% are undernourished
Finances:
48% of people live on less than £1.50 a day
Drinking Water:
87% have access to clean water
13% are forced to drink contaminated water
Communication and Technology:
75% of people own mobile phones
25% are without connectivity
30% have internet access
70% have never used the internet
Education:
7% of people have a higher education
93% have not attended universities
83% can read
17% remain illiterate
Religions of the World
Distribution of Believers:
33% are Christians
22% are Muslims
14% are Hindus
7% are Buddhists
12% follow other faiths
12% are atheists or agnostics
Age Statistics: How Many Live to Old Age?
26% of people die before reaching 14 years
66% die between the ages of 15 and 64
Only 8% of the planet’s population reaches 65 years
If you’re over 65, you are among the lucky ones who have outlived 92% of the world’s population.
Age Is Not the End, But a Beginning
There’s a myth that the peak of human productivity is in youth. But research shows otherwise:
The most productive age is between 60 and 70 years
The second most productive stage is 70 to 80 years
The third is 50 to 60 years
Average Age:
Nobel Prize winners — 62 years old
CEOs of major companies — 63 years old
Leaders of major religious organizations — 71 years old
Popes — 76 years old
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine confirms: people reach their emotional and intellectual peak at 60 and maintain it to 80.
So if you’re 60, 70, or even 80 — these are the best years of your life.
What Truly Matters
With age, you start to realize that the little things don’t matter.
You stop blaming yourself for an extra slice of cake.
You can read into the night or sleep as much as you want.
You can sing, dance, walk, enjoy life — because you no longer have anything to prove to anyone.
You’ve learned what’s important and what isn’t.
You’ve seen friends pass away.
You know life is short.
And you no longer waste time with regrets.
Old age isn’t a sentence. It’s freedom.
I don’t want my youth back.
I love who I’ve become.
I won’t regret the past or worry about the future.
I’ll enjoy every single day while I can.
And if I want to, I’ll have dessert every day.
Life’s not about living longer.
Life’s about living fully.
