If My World Were a Village
Donella H. Meadows
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- In 1990, Donella H. Meadows published the original 'State of the Village Report' taking current world statistics and reproduced them as they
would appear in a village of just 100 people. This village reflects the variations of the real world in values we can understand.
With updates based on data for 2005, statistics look like this...
If my world were a village of 100 people
Ethnic Origins
60 are Asians
14 are Africans
12 are Europeans
8 are Central and South American, Mexican and Caribbean
5 Canadian and American
1 is from New Zealand or Australia
Religions
33 Christians
22 Moslems
15 Hindus
14 Non-religious, Agnostics and Atheists
6 Buddhists
10 All other religions
The villagers
51 would be male
49 would be female
67 would be adults, half of whom cannot read or write
16 are children immunized against preventable diseases
1 will have HIV/AIDS.
82 would be non-white
18 white
11 adult women have been beaten, abused, or forced to have sex
1 would have a college education
Living Conditions
80 would live in housing you would consider UNFIT for habitation
39 would lack access to improved sanitation
33 don't have access to safe water
24 would not have access to electricity
76 people who do have access to electricity, most only use it for light at night
18 people are overweight
50 wouldn't have enough to eat and would suffer from malnutrition
1 would be dying of starvation
There would be 42 radios, 24 televisions, 14 telephones and 7 computers
7 people would own a car or van of some sort
7 people would have access to the Internet
5 people from the USA would own 32% of the entire wealth of the village
83% of the fertilizer is used on 40% of the land owned by the richest 27 people The unfertilized 60% of the land produces 28% grain and feeds 73 of the people
1 person would have control of enough nuclear weapons to vaporize the village
Remember... If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are more comfortable than 75% of the people in this world.
