Top good news of 2024
The year of strong economic growth, advancements in tech and health, declining poverty, growing optimism, a smooth US election and the rollback of tech censorship
Despite the same doom-and-gloom headlines that seem to predict apocalypse every week, 2024 turned out to be a year where many of those gloomy forecasts never came true.
Wrapping up the best news of 2024
The past year saw incredible economic news, poverty slashed worldwide, young people choosing healthier physical lifestyles en-masse, breakthroughs in space travel and quantum computing, the rollback of DEI initiatives and tech censorship, a smooth US election, ceasefires in the Middle East, growing optimism and spirituality, and more.
To be sure, 2024 saw negative headlines too, but we don't need yet another outlet trying to convince you the world is about to blow up tomorrow. There's much more going on than a simplistic, tainted view of the world, and it's good to keep an eye on what is going right.
Healthier lives
❤️ Life expectancy in America rose to its highest level since the pandemic, reaching 78.4 years, increasing by almost a full year compared to 2022.
🚑 Drug overdose deaths in America declined by 14% this year compared to last year, in the first decrease of that rate seen in five years.
🚬 Cigarette smoking in America reached an 80-year low this year, with young people the least likely of all age groups to smoke.
🍺 The majority of young adults in America (64%) think alcohol is bad for health, and most Americans have reduced their alcohol consumption.
⚕️The cancer mortality rate in America dropped about a third since 1999 due to early detection, less smoking and advances in treatment.
🍱 Far fewer children are dying by malnutrition around the world, with now 4 million less children dying per year than thirty years ago.
🚗 The number of traffic fatalities in America saw a significant decrease this year, dropping by 3% since last year, the largest decline in ten years.
✈️ Since the last airline crash in 2009, US plane passengers have traveled over 13.3 trillion miles, equivalent to 2.3 light-years, without a single fatality.
Skyrocketing economy
💰 The US economy soared this year, beating doom and gloom forecasts with stock markets at near-record highs, inflation dropping fast, unemployment low, jobs plentiful and steady growth expected in 2025.
🌍 The middle class is growing worldwide, in a fast-growing trend that is lifting tens of millions out of poverty every year in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific, South America and Africa.
🔋 Large deposits of lithium, known as "white gold" were discovered in Arkansas, enough to supply the world's current demand for electric car batteries - nine times over.
📈 One of the world's worst-performing economies, Argentina, balanced its budget for the first time in decades, in a sign that strong spending cuts work for economies laden with debt.
Widespread education
📖 Over five billion people worldwide can now read and write, or 9 in 10 of the world's population, the highest literacy rate recorded in history.
🏫 The percentage of children not in school around the world has dropped by 40% this year compared to the year 2000, resulting in hundreds of millions more children in school.
🛠️ Gen Z, or "the toolbelt generation", is increasingly choosing skilled trades over traditional college education, thanks to rising pay and new technologies.
Positivity on the rise
🤗 Optimism around the world recovered to levels seen before the pandemic lockdowns, with a majority reporting more positive emotions than negative.
👍 7 in 10 American voters believed its best days are ahead of it, according to a national poll conducted by Quinnipiac before the election.
❤️ Empathy among young people has been rising over the past fifteen years despite political divisions, reversing a decline in empathy that ended in the early 2000's.
Advancing tech
🚀 SpaceX successfully demonstrated the catch of its Falcon Booster rocket, advancing the possibility of reusable rocket technology.
🧑🚀 The world's first ever commercial spacewalk was directed by Jared Isaacman, who has now been appointed as the head of NASA.
🤖 Big tech censorship was rolled back through free-speech-first platforms like X and the US government's scrutiny of China-controlled app TikTok.
🚁 Air taxis gained regulatory approval in several jurisdictions across America, paving the way for urban air mobility.
🧬 Quantum computing technology made significant breakthroughs with Google's Willow application, bringing the tech closer to commercialization.
Steady politics
🗳️ The US elections went off without a hitch, with a clear result, no disputed ballot counts, a smooth transfer of power so far, and no major foreign tech interference as had been feared.
🏛️ The US government successfully avoided another shutdown this year through last-minute budget negotiations in Congress.
🇮🇱 Despite significant tensions between Israel and Iran this year, no major conflict between the two Middle East powers erupted, as had been feared.
🕊️ A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hezbollah was reached, and another one with Hamas is horizon after both terrorist groups suffered major losses.
✂️ The new DOGE initiative under the incoming Trump administration will be led by leaders of the private sector to cut wasteful government spending and inefficiency.
Improving culture
🏛️ The restoration of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris was completed this year in record time and celebrated by world leaders as its "glorious resurrection".
🙅 Politics in big business was rolled back, with "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) initiatives reduced at some of the world's largest firms, including at Walmart, Ford, Toyota, Boeing, and Brown Forman.
🙏 Bible sales surged massively this year and young men are now more religious than young women in the first time in modern history, reflecting increased spiritual interest among young people.
🍿 Family-friendly movies dominated the US box office, claiming one-third of all ticket sales, with PG titles like Moana 2, Sonic 3, Inside-Out 2, Despicable Me 4 raking in hundreds of millions.
🏖️ International tourism and spending boomed, surpassing pre-pandemic levels in many parts of the world, notably in southern European destinations like Italy, Portugal, Greece and Spain.
Thanks for joining us in 2024!
These were just some of the good news stories that happened in 2024, which we highlighted in our weekly updates throughout the year.
If you've enjoyed our updates, why not let friends and family know it's possible to get the news with hope, clarity and no pesky ads or algorithms.
Thanks for being with us through 2024!
Best,
Luke
