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Pope Francis presides the weekly general audience at Paul-VI hall at the Vatican
Hard Numbers: Pope cracks down, Americans live (bit) longer, coup plotters arrested, Amazon deforestation slows, adopt axolotls
77.5: The good news: Life expectancy in the United States rose over one full year to 77.5 in 2022, up from 76.4 years in 2021, according to new CDC data. The bad news: That’s still more than a year lower than 2019’s pre-pandemic 78.8 years.
13: Authorities have arrested 13 military officers in Sierra Leone following Sunday’s failed coup, which came several months after the contested election of President Julius Maada Bio to a second term. Amid the chaos, 20 were killed and nearly 1,900 inmates escaped a central prison in Freetown. Coups are very on trend in the region: There have been eight military takeovers in Central Africa since 2020.
55.8: Deforestation in the Amazon rainforest is down 55.8% this year compared to the same period in 2022, according to a new study by the nonprofit Amazon Conservation Association. The 9,117 square kilometers of forest loss between January and November 2023 – roughly the size of Puerto Rico – is the lowest level since 2019.
600: The future of the axolotl, the fish-like salamander known for its adorable grin, is not all smiles. The endangered amphibian has seen its population density drop by 99.5% over the past two decades, thanks to pollution and invasive species. But Mexico’s National Autonomous University has relaunched a campaign to allow people to virtually adopt an axolotl (and get live updates on its health) for as little as 600 pesos — around $35 USD.
Graph showing global fertility rates and life expectancies.
The Graphic Truth: Who's making enough babies?
Japan isn’t the only country worried about the social and economic impacts of its shrinking population. Many countries across East Asia and Europe have been grappling with similar demographic trends in recent years, with some countries, like Hungary, throwing everything but the kitchen sink at women to encourage more procreation. Conversely, Africa is home to the top 14 countries with the highest fertility rates in the world. However, poor healthcare access and conflict mean that the average baby born in Africa will live far fewer years than their European and East Asian counterparts. We take a look at countries with the highest and lowest fertility rates and their respective life expectancies.