Numbers Behind Lives: A Real World Picture
There are 8 billion of us.
For most, it’s just a massive figure. They hear it, read it in the news, nod, and forget.
But what if we envision this vast world in percentages? What if we view our planet not as an abstract number, but as a community where everyone has their place?
Where do people live?
If we imagine the global population as 100%, it would break down to:
11% in Europe
5% in North America
9% in South America
15% in Africa
60% in Asia
In other words, Asia is the true giant, home to over half of the planet’s population.
Meanwhile:
49% reside in rural areas
51% in urban areas
Cities are expanding, yet nearly half of humanity still remains tied to the land.
What languages are spoken in the world?
Despite English being widespread, the reality looks different:
12% speak Mandarin
5% speak Spanish
5% speak English
3% speak Arabic
3% speak Hindi
3% speak Bengali
3% speak Portuguese
2% speak Russian
2% speak Japanese
62% speak other languages not listed here
The world is much more multilingual than it appears at first glance.
Who thrives, and who struggles?
Here’s what the figures reveal:
77% have shelter
23% are without stable housing
Food:
21% overeat
63% have enough to eat
15% are undernourished
Finances:
48% live on less than £1.50 a day
Drinking water:
87% have access to clean water
13% drink contaminated water
Connectivity and technology:
75% have mobile phones
25% are without connection
30% have internet access
70% have never used the internet
Education:
7% have a higher education
93% have never attended university
83% are literate
17% remain illiterate
World Religions
Here’s how belief systems are distributed:
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 reach old age?
26% die before reaching 14 years
66% die between 15 and 64 years
Only 8% of the world’s population reaches 65 years
If you’re over 65, you’re among the lucky ones outliving 92% of the world’s population.
Age is not an end, but a beginning
There’s a myth that the peak of human productivity occurs in youth. But studies show otherwise:
The most productive age is between 60 and 70
The second most productive stage is 70 to 80
The third is from 50 to 60
Average age of:
Nobel Prize winners — 62 years
CEOs of major companies — 63 years
Leaders of major religious organizations — 71 years
Popes — 76 years
Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine confirms: a person reaches an emotional and intellectual peak at 60 and retains it until 80.
So if you’re 60, 70, or even 80 — these are the best years of your life.
What truly matters
As you age, you realize that the little things don’t matter.
You stop blaming yourself for an extra slice of cake.
You can stay up late or sleep as much as you want.
You can sing, dance, stroll, enjoy life — as there’s no need to prove anything to anyone.
You already know what’s important and what isn’t.
You’ve seen friends go.
You understand life is short.
And you no longer waste time on regrets.
Old age isn’t a sentence. It’s freedom.
I don’t want to go back to my youth.
I love who I’ve become.
I’m not going to regret the past or worry about the future.
I will enjoy each day while I can.
And if I want, I’ll have dessert every day.
Life isn’t about living longer.
Life is about living fully.
