The World in Percentages
A visual exploration of our world.
As you explore below, you'll discover facts about the global population. In this visualization, every single icon represents exactly 1% of humanity, making large global statistics easier to understand at a glance.
Want to test your intuition? You can also try to guess the percentages.
74%
Population with access to safe drinking water
74% have safely managed water. However, 1 in 4 people still lack access to this basic service
Renewables generate 32% of global electricity, led by hydropower, wind, and solar energy
Affects 1 in 10 people (808 million). Eradicating it by 2030 is currently a highly unlikely goal
Source: The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2025 | United Nations
Affects roughly 673 million people. Although the figure dropped slightly in 2024, the food crisis persists
Source: The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025 | FAO, IFAD, WHO, WFP, and UNICEF
93% of the world has electricity. However, 666 million people—mostly in Africa—still live in the dark
Source: Energy Progress Report 2025 | IEA, IRENA, UNSD, the World Bank, and WHO
10% of the land is covered by permanent ice, mostly concentrated in Antarctica and Greenland
Nearly 1 in 3 assessed species (over 48,600) is at risk of disappearing forever
1 in 5 adults worldwide remains addicted to tobacco
Source: Global report on trends in prevalence of tobacco use 2000–2024 | WHO
There are 304 million migrants. Today, 1 in 27 people worldwide lives outside their country of origin
Forests cover 31% of the planet. Over half of this natural wealth is located in just five countries
Only 15% of countries (25 nations) are full democracies. Meanwhile, the global democratic index continues its decline, driven by reversals in several regions and the hardening of authoritarian regimes
Only the richest 10% of the world owns 75% of all existing wealth (properties, stocks, savings), highlighting a profound inequality
Nearly 1 in 4 people worldwide do not identify with any religion
Source: How the Global Religious Landscape Changed From 2010 to 2020 | Pew Research Center
Affects roughly 138 million children. Of these, 54 million are engaged in hazardous work that endangers their health and development
Source: Child Labour: Global estimates 2024 | ILO and UNICEF
45% of the global population lives in cities. This figure represents more than double the proportion recorded in 1950
The adult literacy rate reached 88% in 2024, reflecting steady progress and the expansion of basic education
Affects over one billion people. Anxiety and depression are the most common disorders, and many still lack access to necessary treatment
Nearly 1 in 3 women has been subjected to violence by a partner or sexual violence by a non-partner. This represents around 840 million women
Source: Violence against women prevalence estimates 2023 | WHO and United Nations
Barely 18% of nations guarantee full marriage equality, showing that legal parity for the LGBTQ+ community remains a global minority
About 273 million children and youth (1 in 6) are out of school. The figure has been rising in recent years after decades of decline