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Today’s post comes from fellow S&S reader, Sadie. She’s showing how, despite the bad financial news in the media, we’re making decent strides against poverty.

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How Poverty Fell in the 20th Century

We tend to think things were much better in the past than they are today. But this is generally attributed to Golden Age Thinking, which makes us nostalgically believe things were rosier in the past. Actually, things are much better than they were in the past in nearly all areas of life we’d use to measure progress. Take poverty, for example. Around the world, one person escapes extreme poverty every single second.

And a similar trend has been noted in the United States, too. Poverty across the country fell during the 20th century, in large part due to the policies enacted by various presidents, including Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson.

Why does this matter? Well, studies show (and human instinct agrees!) that people are more likely to succeed when they have the basics of life, including shelter, food, and water, in order. Indeed, as soon as you have the stability of these things in your life, you’re able to look forward and achieve more.

Ultimately, a nation that has a population that can take these things for granted will go onto achieve more and more. And that’s why the decline of poverty should be such a cause for celebration. And why the complete eradication of poverty across the world should be such a high priority.

To learn more about the data behind this decline, as well as other information about the United States and money, and the policies that help bring it about, check out the infographic from Norwich University below.

Infographic created by: Norwich University Norwich University