It might not seem like it sometimes – particularly in 2022, year of the so-called ‘permacrisis’ – but the world has mostly become a better place to live in during the last 11 years.
That’s according to the latest Social Progress Index, published last month. Each year, it assesses life in 169 countries, giving annual scores for nations and the world as a whole. Despite the good news, the index showed progress was uneven and slowing.
The UK, for instance, was identified as one of four countries in a “social progress recession”. The others were Syria, Venezuela and Libya.
Mercifully, a separate study found that despite attempts by some to divide the UK, a tolerant centre ground prevails. It reported a “surprising and reassuring sense” of unity among Britons, even on supposedly divisive issues such as race and identity. A report by the National Centre for Social Research reached a similar conclusion.
Image: Adli Wahid
