Hans Rosling asks: Has the UN gone mad?

The United Nations just announced their boldest goal ever: To eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, already by 2030.

Gapminder – Looking at the realities of extremely poor people the goal seems impossible. The rains didn’t fall in Malawi this year. The poor farmers Dunstar & Jenet, gather a tiny maize harvest in a small pile on the ground outside their mud hut. But Dunstar & Jenet know exactly what they need to break the vicious circle of poverty. And Hans Rosling shows how billions of people have already managed. This year’s “hunger season” may very well be Dunster’s & Jenet’s last.

Up-to-date statistics show that recent global progress is ‘the greatest story of our time – possibly the greatest story in all of human history. The goal seems unrealistic to many highly educated people because their worldview is lagging 60 years behind reality.

About the film

The visualizations are based on original graphics and stories by Gapminder. The data sources are listed here.

The Dollar Street project, featured in this film, will launch later this year.
Learn more and stay tuned here.

This film follows the previous award-winning BBC productions Don’t Panic – The Facts About Population and The Joy Of Stats.

The film was produced by Wingspan Productions and broadcasted on BBC TWO on September 23, 2015. Director & Producer: Dan Hillman. Executive Producer: Archie Baron. ©Wingspan Productions for BBC, 2015