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Bulgaria's long decline Below zero in all 36 years from 1990 to 2025: Bulgaria's population growth, set against the other 26 EU members.Infant deaths across Africa In 2024, 71.9 of every 1,000 babies born in South Sudan died before their first birthday, then 69.8 in Nigeria, 65.6 in Niger and 65.4 in Somalia. In Libya it was 7.9.The price of Europe Price levels with the US at 100, 1995 to 2025. Iceland tops the field in 2007 at 168, falls to last at 99 in 2009 after its banks collapse, and ends first in 2025 at 118.South Korea's climb Ranked by energy use per person from 2000 to 2024, South Korea climbs from 8th to 3rd of 15 countries. The US stays 1st and Russia ends 2nd.China against four China's greenhouse gas emissions grew from 3,060 to 13,180 Mt CO2e between 1990 and 2023 and passed the US in 2004. The US emits 5,439, India 3,979, Brazil 2,126 and Indonesia 1,573.Europe's forests Forest covers 74.2% of Finland's land, the most in the EU, ahead of Sweden at 68.6% and Slovenia at 61.8%.Who is online In 2024, 41 in every 100 Nigerians used the internet, against 53 in Bangladesh, 57 in Pakistan, 65 in India and 95 in the US.Kenya lights up Access to electricity in Kenya rose from 22.6% of people in 2004 to 77% in 2024, passing Nigeria in 2017. Ghana ends highest at 91.9%, Tanzania lowest at 52.4%.Europe rearms Arms imports by 23 European countries rose from 2,985 to 12,272 SIPRI trend-indicator values between 2015 and 2025. Ukraine added the most, 2,242, then Poland 2,042 and Germany 1,513.Malta's women at work Women's labour force participation in Malta went from 29.9% in 2005 to 55.8% in 2025, the biggest move in the EU. Italy ends lowest at 40.8%; Finland, Portugal, Romania and Slovenia fell.The Great Divergence Since 1990, Poland's real income per person has more than tripled. Ukraine's has still not returned to its 1990 levelThe end of Greek coal Coal's share of Greek electricity fell from 42.6% in 2015 to 5.6% in 2024. Poland ends highest at 55.4%; Estonia, highest in 2015 at 82.8%, is down to 41.2%.The Last Mile In 2000 a third of Bangladesh had power; now nearly all does. Nigeria went from 43% to 62.5%China's power race Electricity use per person in China rose from 770 kWh in 1995 to 7,038 kWh in 2024, passing the UK, Italy, Germany and France. Japan ends highest at 7,781 kWh.The Longevity Convergence Six decades of convergence, a COVID flip, and a US rebound: 0.9 years separate them in 2024The world's biggest buyer US imports of goods and services rose from $630bn in 1990 to $4.11tn in 2024, with a 22% drop in 2009. China's rose from $38bn to $3.28tn.The Quiet Frontrunners Uruguay gets more than half of its energy from renewables and Brazil close to half. Germany, after 30 years of energy laws, is under a fifthWhere migrants live Germany has the most people born abroad, 16.75 million in 2024. Spain is third at 8.87 million, up 2.98 million since 2015.Korea Passes Japan In 1970 Korea's income per person was one seventh of Japan's. By 2023 Korea was aheadMethane's top emitters China emitted 1,331 Mt CO2e of methane in 2023. The US is second at 889, just ahead of India at 880, then Brazil at 559 and Russia at 526.Fifty Years After the Split One country until 1971, and Pakistan was the richer part. In constant dollars per person, Bangladesh drew level by 2020 and is now about 19% aheadFour Countries, Four Curves Niger's population still grows more than 3% a year. India has slowed to under 1%. China and Japan have both turned negativeThe Treatment Rebound AIDS cut life expectancy in southern Africa by up to 16 years. Treatment brought all of it back, and moreOne Country, Four Countries' Worth In 2023 the United States alone emitted 5,439 Mt of greenhouse gases, more than Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy combined, at 1,848 MtThe Fertility Cliff South Korea fell below 1.0 births per woman in 2018, less than half of replacement. By 2023 it reached 0.72, the lowest of any country on recordPaying The Most, Dying The Soonest In 2023 the United States spent 16.7% of its economy on health, more than any of these six, and lived the shortest of the five rich ones. Israel spent 7.1% and lived 4.8 years longerChina Starts Shrinking In 2022 China's population fell for the first time since 1961, and it has not stoppedThe US Gained The Fewest Years Between 2000 and 2024, life expectancy in the United States rose by just 2.3 years, to 78.9, the smallest gain of the four. South Korea gained 7.7 years, to 83.6A Lasting Emissions Gap France emits a third less greenhouse gas per person than Germany, and has since 1990The Cities Filled In In 1960, a quarter of South Koreans and a fifth of China lived in cities. By 2023, four in five South Koreans and two in three in China didA Generation on Hold 2013: half of Spain's young labour force was jobless. Greece peaked even higherWho Is Online Now In 2023, internet use reached 100% in the UAE and 97% in South Korea. The United States was at 93.5%, India at 60%Where Infant Deaths Collapsed In 1990 the world lost 64 babies for every 1,000 born. Peru is now at 11, Cambodia 16.4, Nepal 22.2, Rwanda 29.4 per 1,000 live birthsNorway Never Below Half Since 1990, Norway's renewable energy share has never dropped below 50%. Denmark's has grown from 7% to 39.5%, more than five times overAsia's Forest Gap Closes In 1990 forest covered 64 percent of Indonesia's land and 29 percent of Vietnam's. That 35 point gap is now under 4Poland Now Outspends America In 2014 the United States spent 3.7% of its economy on defence and Poland 1.9%. In 2024 Poland spent 3.8% and the United States 3.4%. Latvia and Lithuania both more than tripled their share over the same ten years, while Germany and Spain are still under 2%Germany Leads, Spain Climbs Since 1990, Germany's greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 39%, more than France's or Poland's, while Spain's have risen 37%. Germany still emits more than any of the other three aloneCzechia Leads The Visegrad Four In 2025, Czechia's income per person reached $35,917, ahead of Slovakia, Poland and Hungary among the Visegrad Four, though still far behind Austria and Germany, both above $60,000Two Countries Swapped Places In 2015 El Salvador recorded 107.6 homicides per 100,000 people and Ecuador recorded 6.5. In 2022 El Salvador recorded 7.9. Ecuador reached 45.7 in 2023Eight Countries Below Replacement Every country on this chart had about three or more births per woman in 1990. All eight are now below 2.1, the rate a population needs to replace itself. Iran fell from 4.93 to 1.68, and India, the most populous country in the world, is at 1.96A Third Of The Economy In 2013 Ukraine spent 2.4% of its economy on defence, less than Russia. In 2023 it spent 36%, and 34% in 2024. Russia went from 3.9% to 6.9% over the same years, Israel from 5.3% to 8.5%, Germany from 1.2% to 1.8%The Buyers Changed Places Ukraine took 1 unit of arms deliveries on SIPRI's volume scale in 2014 and 5,341 in 2024, more than India, Qatar and Saudi Arabia together. Poland went from 275 to 1,542. India and Saudi Arabia both fell. The scale counts volume delivered, not money paidWho Still Sells Weapons By 2024 Russia is at 24, a fall of 76%. South Korea is at 543, Germany 295, France 185, the United States 152, China 86. Germany and France each delivered more volume than Russia in 2024The Countries That Run On Money Sent Home Money wired home by people working abroad is worth 57.7% of Tajikistan's entire economy. In Honduras it is 30.1%, in El Salvador 27.5%, in Lesotho 20.7%The People Counted After Ukraine is at 81 in 2023 and 84 in 2025. Syria fell to 85 by 2016 and is at 114 now, above where it started. Poland, not at war, is at 96. These are resident counts, so people who left are counted where they arrived