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Public health

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Line chart of global childhood vaccination coverage from 1980 to 2024 on a 0 to 100 percent axis. Three gold lines for measles, DTP and polio rise steeply from about 16 to 21 percent in 1980 to roughly 85 percent by 2010, then flatten, dip to about 81 percent in 2021 and recover to 84 to 85 percent by 2024. Three blue lines for rubella, pneumococcal and rotavirus start later and are still climbing, reaching 73, 67 and 59 percent. Annotations mark one child in six in 1980, five in six in 2024, and the pandemic dip back to the 2008 level.

Health

In 1980 one child in six got the measles vaccine. Now it is five in six.

Global measles coverage among one-year-olds rose from 16% in 1980 to 84% in 2024 — one of the largest public health gains ever recorded. But the climb stopped around 2010, and coverage has still not regained its 86% peak of 2018.

Chartive EditorialSep 9, 2026

Scatter plot of male against female life expectancy at birth for 217 countries and territories in 2024, both axes running from 50 to 90 years. A dashed diagonal marks equal life expectancy. Every dot lies above it, so women outlive men everywhere; the lower half of the chart is empty and labelled accordingly. Dots are coloured by the size of the gap, from pale blue at zero to deep pink at eleven years. Russia is furthest above the line at 10.6 years, Togo closest at 0.5 and Nigeria at 0.6. Japan sits top right at 81.1 years for men and 87.1 for women. An inset below shows Pakistan's gap crossing from negative to positive in 1971.

Health

There is no country on earth where men outlive women

Each dot is one of 193 sovereign states or 24 territories with data. Every single one of the 217 sits above the line where the two sexes would live equally long — but the gap runs from five months in Togo to more than ten years in Russia.

Chartive EditorialSep 6, 2026

A slope chart comparing the share of adults using tobacco in 2000 and 2024. Most lines fall steeply and are drawn in blue: India from 55.7% to 22.6%, Norway 45.3% to 12.9%, the United States 38.6% to 15.8%, the United Kingdom 38.2% to 12.8%, Japan 33.4% to 17.5%, China 27.1% to 22.8% and Brazil 23.2% to 11.9%. France is almost flat at 34.5% to 33.6% and Indonesia 34.7% to 31.0%. Two red lines rise: Egypt from 19.7% to 25.0% and Lebanon from 34.3% to 46.9%. A thick white line shows the world average falling from 34.8% to 20.3%.

Health

The world quit smoking faster than almost anyone expected — but not evenly

The share of adults using tobacco fell from 34.8% in 2000 to 20.3% in 2024 — a drop of 42% in a single generation. India more than halved, Norway and Britain cut theirs by two thirds, while France barely moved and smoking rose in Egypt and Lebanon.

Chartive EditorialSep 4, 2026

A grid of twelve small line charts showing the share of adults with obesity from 1980 to 2024, all on the same 0 to 45 percent scale, each with the world average as a dashed reference line. The world panel rises from 5.0% to 16.4%. Egypt reaches 42.8%, the United States 41.8%, Mexico 37.4%, Australia 32.4%, South Africa 31.3%, Brazil 30.9%, the United Kingdom 29.2% and Germany 24.5% — all above the world average and drawn in gold. France (12.5%), China (9.1%) and Japan (5.2%) sit below it and are drawn in blue.

Health

In 1980, one in twenty adults had obesity. Today it is one in six.

The share of adults worldwide with a body mass index of 30 or more rose from 5.0% in 1980 to 16.4% in 2024. Every country has risen — but by wildly different amounts.

Chartive EditorialSep 1, 2026

Health

America spends the most on health — but avoidable deaths stay high

In 2022 the U.S. spent $13,062 per person on health — more than any OECD country — yet its treatable-mortality rate (95 deaths per 100,000) was higher than 27 other members.

Chartive EditorialAug 28, 2026

Line chart of global life expectancy at birth from 1950 to 2023, rising from 46 to 73 years, with a dip around 1960 and a COVID-19 dip in 2020–21 before recovering.

Health

The world gained 27 years of life

Life expectancy at birth worldwide rose from about 46 years in 1950 to 73 in 2023 — one of humanity's great gains. COVID-19 caused the first global setback in a generation, before the trend resumed.

Chartive EditorialAug 27, 2026

Stacked area chart of U.S. drug-overdose deaths per year, 2015 to 2024, split into fentanyl (synthetic opioids) and all other drugs. Total deaths rose from about 52,600 in 2015 to a record 109,413 in 2022, then fell to about 80,860 in 2024.

Health

U.S. overdose deaths hit a record — then a historic drop

Fentanyl drove U.S. drug-overdose deaths to a record of about 109,000 in 2022. By 2024 they had fallen roughly 26% — the steepest decline on record.

Chartive EditorialAug 23, 2026

Health

America spends the most on health — and lives less

Health spending per person vs life expectancy across 57 countries in 2023. The U.S. spends about $12,100 a head — the most of any country — yet 31 nations that spend less live longer.

Chartive EditorialAug 22, 2026

Line chart of life expectancy at birth, 1950–2023, showing the United States (highlighted) rising from about 68 to 79 years but falling below Japan, the UK, France and Germany, with a dip during 2020–21.

Health

America started ahead on life expectancy — then fell behind

In 1950 the United States lived about as long as other wealthy countries. By 2023 it had the lowest life expectancy of the group — and lost the most ground during the pandemic.

Mara EllisonAug 16, 2026