The World Has Fallen Into Its First Social Progress Recession

Washington, DC, January 17, 2024 --(PR.com)-- According to the 2024 Social Progress Index, for the first time the world has declined overall in social progress. In total, 61 countries saw a significant decline in their social progress in 2023 and 77 more stagnated. Only 32 countries saw any real progress. Today, four out of five people in the world live in a country where social progress is stagnating or declining. The index is published by the Social Progress Imperative, a US-based non-profit.

This decline is happening as we head into the biggest election year in history, with more than half of the world's population, four billion people, heading to the polls. As 4 out of 5 people in the world live in countries making no progress or going backward in social progress, 2024 will prove a crucial year to hold elected officials to account to address declines in health, education, rights, and other crucial areas that impact the well-being of people.

The findings highlight that the world’s Social Progress Index score dropped 0.31 points from 2022 to 2023. This was driven principally by deteriorating scores on:
Health (-1.7): Declined due to deteriorating life expectancy and mortality in the 15-50 age group due to the Covid pandemic.

Information & Communications (-2.2): Typically we see strong growth in this area year on year, but for the first time, largely due to declining press freedom, we see it falling backward.

Rights & Voice (-0-51): Rights across the world have been on a long backward slide since 2011 (-6.49) and this continues to be one of the biggest problems in advancing social progress.

This decline is happening as we head into the biggest election year in history, with more than half of the world’s population, four billion people, heading to the polls. As 4 out of 5 people in the world live in countries making no progress or going backward in social progress, 2024 will prove a crucial year to hold elected officials to account to address declines in health, education, rights, and other crucial areas that impact the well-being of people.

The 2024 Social Progress Index also shows:
The United States' social progress has declined since 2011, and, as a result, the US has sunk to 29th place and in the second tier of world social progress. The US is one of only four countries to see an overall decline in social progress since 2011, alongside the United Kingdom, Syria and Venezuela. The US scores poorly in Safety, where it ranks 70th in the world behind countries that include Kazakhstan, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia. This is largely due to very high rates of interpersonal violence where it is ranked 110th and intimate partner violence where it is ranked 88th
The United Kingdom has fallen into the second tier of social progress for the first time. The United Kingdom has declined in social progress since 2011. It has dropped 8 places in the ranks to be 21st in the world and has been relegated to the second tier of social progress.

Denmark ranks first on the 2024 Social Progress Index, with a score of 90.38 while South Sudan is at the bottom, at 170th, with a score of 25.93. Germany, ranking tenth with a score of 87.64, is the top-performing G7 country.

Commenting on the global results, CEO of the Social Progress Imperative, Michael Green, noted: “While the struggling global economy will be the focus of much debate at the World Economic Forum meeting at Davos next week, the 2024 Social Progress Index shows that leaders need to focus on the human crisis. Four out of five people live in a country where social progress is stagnating or declining. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are looking increasingly unachievable. The 2024 Social Progress Index highlights a global crisis in rights, voice and press freedom, just as big as the crisis in health caused by Covid. Government and business leaders need to look not just for economic growth, but economic growth that brings tangible advances in social progress.”