It’s so easy to get bogged down in bad news, especially as we have more and more access to the atrocities and disasters of the world on a daily, hourly and by-the-minute basis. Anyone in today’s society could be forgiven for thinking that things are getting worse.

But here’s a spin on that idea: according to Thinkprogress, 2013 has, in fact, been the best year in human history. This article lists the five reasons why, including the fact that there have been consistent global declines in wage disparities between genders, labor force participation, and educational attainment around the world.

Some other highlights:

• deaths from AIDS-related illnesses are down by 24% since 2005.
• even in low income countries, the percentage of people living in extreme poverty ($1.25 a day in 2005 dollars) a day gone down from 63% in 1981 to 44% in 2010.
• smaller percentages of people are being exposed to the horrors of war

It’s wonderful to consider. But, of course, there is still much work to be done. Let’s not forget the wise words of the recently departed Nelson Mandela, who fought so hard for access to education for all.