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Deaths

• Three million people die annually from diseases related to dirty or unsafe water. (UN Report)
• Urban air pollution kills an estimated 800,000 people each year, roughly half of them in China. (Worldwatch Institute -- State of the World 2007)

Malnutrition

• 18,000 children are now dying every day from hunger and malnutrition (World Food Program)
  
• One of every four children under age 5 is underweight, including 146 million children in the developing world. (U.N. Children’s Fund)

Disease

• 88 percent of all diseases are caused by unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene. (World Bank)
  
• 33 million people suffer from HIV/AIDS, with women accounting for 50% of all adults living with HIV. Young people under 25 account for half of all new HIV infections. (UNAIDS/WHO Nov. 2007)
• A million infants die each year from diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation. (Worldwatch Institute -- State of the World 2007)

• An estimated 105 million children don't go to school. (UNESCO Statistical Yearbook 1999 edition - updated 2002)
• About 1.2 billion adults are illiterate (UNESCO Statistical Yearbook 1999 edition - updated 2002)

Population Growth

• 97% of the world's population growth is occurring in poor developing countries (Population Institute)
• The world is adding approximately 200,000 people every day, or 77 million per year. (Population Institute)
• Populations of 65 countries are expected to double within 30 years (Population Institute)
• Between 2000 and 2030, Asia’s urban population will increase from 1.3 billion to 2.64 billion. Africa’s population will rise from 294 million to 742 million, Latin America and the Caribbean from 394 million to 609 million.
• By 2050 nearly a quarter of the world's population will come from Africa - up from one in seven today 

• Studies across Africa have shown that the desire for large families remains powerful. In Nigeria a recent survey revealed that just 4% of women with two children said they wanted no more. Part of the reason is cultural, with bigger families seen as a sign of security. It is also because of fears of high levels of infant mortality.

Living Conditions

• Roughly 1.6 billion people do not have access to electricity in their homes, often lacking refrigeration and even light.
• 1 billion urbanites--or approximately one sixth of the world's total population--currently live in "slums," defined as areas where people cannot secure key necessities such as clean water, a nearby toilet, or durable housing. (Worldwatch Institute)
• The UN reported that 2.6 billion people--about 40 percent of the world's population--lack access to toilets or latrines. (UN Report)