FAST FACTS

• Every day, about 800 women die due to pregnancy and childbirth complications.

• Almost 10% of adults in the world have diabetes.

• Nearly 3500 people die every day from traffic accidents.

• In the US, the death rate for heart disease has fallen by 70% since the mid-20th century. However, in developing countries, heart disease has risen by 120% for women and 137% for men.

• Over 35% of women worldwide have been victims of physical or sexual violence.

• Over 6 million children under the age of 5 die each year – almost all of them could be saved with access to simple and affordable interventions.

• Depression affects around 300 million people worldwide, and that number is projected to increase. Less than half of those people have access to adequate treatment for the disease.

FAST FACTS

• 1.1 billion children worldwide have been out of school due to COVID-19.

• 132 million girls worldwide are out of school.

• Children in conflict-affected countries are more than twice as likely to be out of school than those in peaceful countries.

• In low and lower-middle income countries, 40% of elementary children with disabilities are out of school. That percentage rises to 55% for high school aged children with disabilities.

• 6 out of 10 elementary and middle school children do not achieve proficiency in reading and math.

• Worldwide almost 60 million children are not able to attend primary school (K-8). Almost 65 million are not able to attend high school. It would take $39 billion each year to send all adolescents to school.

• 53% of the world’s out-of-school children are girls and ⅔ of the illiterate people in the world are women.

FAST FACTS

• The US is one of only 8 countries in the world that does not provide any form of paid maternity leave.

• Globally, 750 million women and girls were married before the age of 18.

• Only 52% of women who are married or in a union freely make their own decisions about sexual relations, contraceptive use, and healthcare.

• Of all worldwide leaders in parliament, only 23.7% are women.

• At the current rate of progress, it will take over 100 years to close the gender gap.

• For every female film character, there are 2.24 male characters.

• 104 countries ban women from certain jobs. 29 countries restrict the hours women can work. 18 countries allow men to prohibit their wives from working. 17 countries limit when and how women can travel outside the home.

• 200 million fewer women than men have internet access worldwide. In the US, women earn more bachelor’s degrees than men, but only 18% of computer science degrees.

FAST FACTS

• The world’s richest 1% have more than twice as smooch wealth as 6.9 billion people.

• Almost half of the world is living on less than $5.50 per day.

• Every day, 10,000 people die because they don’t have access to affordable healthcare.

• Every year, 100 million people are forced into extreme poverty due to healthcare costs.

• The 22 richest men in the world have more wealth than all of the women in Africa.

• Women average twice as much time on unpaid housework as men.

• In 1980, the top 1% had 16% of the global income. If nothing changes to reduce inequalities, the number will rise to 39% by 2050. Today, the 80 richest people on earth have the same amount of wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest people.

• In most developed countries, the official unemployment rate for people with disabilities is at least twice that for those without disabilities. In Latin America, about 80-90% of people with disabilities are unemployed or out of work.

FAST FACTS

• Oceans contain 97% of the Earth’s water and represent 99% of the living space on the planet by volume.

• Oceans are the world’s largest source of protein. More than 3 billion people rely on oceans as their primary source of protein.

• Scientists estimate that there are over 5 trillion pieces of plastic currently in the oceans. A single plastic bag will take up to 1,000 years to break down in the ocean.

• About 5% of known species of fish are endangered.

• Marine fisheries directly or indirectly employ over 200 million people.

• The ocean covers 75% of the Earth’s surface. As much as 40% of the ocean is affected by pollution and other human activities. An average of 13,000 pieces of plastic litter can be found on every square kilometer of ocean.

• More than 3 billion people rely on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods. Due to improper marine management, over-fishing occurs, which results in major economic losses for entire communities.

FAST FACTS

• About 1.6 billion people depend on forests for their livelihood, including 70 million indigenous people.

• Forests are home to more than 80% of all terrestrial species of animals, plants, and insects.

• 74% of the poor are directly affected by land degradation.

• There are over 80,000 species of trees in the world. Less than 1% have been studied for potential use.

• Mountain regions provide 60-80% of the world’s fresh water.

• Over 80% of the human diet is provided by plants. Rice, corn, and wheat provide 60% of human energy intake.

• Rainforests only cover 2% of our planet’s surface, but are home to nearly 50% of all species on Earth. Humans destroy over 200,000 acres of rainforest every day.

• Forests are home to more than 80% of all terrestrial species of animals, plants, and insects. Of the 8,300 animal breeds known, 8% are extinct and 22% are at risk of extinction.