🔟 stats that shaped 2024

 

The Rundown 10 Stats That Shaped 2023

Amid new challenges, data and research can always shed light on where we've been—and where we can go. Here are 10 statistics that provided insight, inspired action, and guided our efforts to find common ground in 2024. 1. About 1 in 5 Americans say they regularly get news from influencers on social media. PEW RESEARCH CENTER As the media and political landscapes continue to shift, an increasing share of Americans—including 37% of Americans under 30—are regularly looking to social media influencers as sources of news. WHO THEY ARE 2. 74% of Americans say they're very concerned about the price of food and consumer goods. PEW RESEARCH CENTER Despite decreasing inflation, actual prices remain high—and absent a recession, they're likely to stay that way. On average, consumer prices in August 2024 were 22% above where they were in January 2020. HOW AREAS COMPARE 3. State courts in the U.S. handle some 66 million cases each year. Mounting dockets in state courts have led to significant backlogs. For one thing, traffic cases such as speeding and parking tickets accounted for 57% of all filings in 2022. Reconsidering the courts' involvement in these less serious cases could help reduce delays—delays that can have life-altering effects, such as in child-custody and criminal trials. 5 CHARTS 4. The U.S. has a housing shortage of 4 million to 7 million homes. In the current, unprecedented housing shortage, 49% of Americans say the lack of affordable housing in their community is a major problem—up from just 39% in 2018. States across the nation are experimenting with ways to address the shortage of housing, especially low-cost units. For example: modernizing zoning laws and converting empty office space into dwellings. READ ON 5. More than 25% of counties experienced a federally declared major disaster in 2023. Last year, the U.S. experienced a record-breaking 28 separate billion-dollar disasters—and the impacts are felt at the local level first. As weather-related threats like extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and floods intensify, state and local leaders are boosting resilient infrastructure and making communities safer. PROGRESS Take a Break: 5 2024 Conservation Wins We're Thankful For PEW ENVIRONMENT INSTAGRAM SEE PHOTOS 6. 24 million Americans still lack access to high-speed internet connections. On rural farms, in bustling cities, and beyond, Americans are working to bridge the digital divide for the millions of their compatriots who lack access to reliable and affordable broadband. Get to know them. WATCH 7. Microplastic emissions into our waters are expected to more than double in the next 20 years. Microplastics—plastic pieces less than 5 millimeters long—are already pervasive in our air, soil, and water. They've been found in the most remote regions of the world as well as circulating in people's bloodstreams. 7 FACTS 8. Just 18% of Americans with an opioid use disorder received any medication to treat it in 2023 (the latest year for which data is available). Despite the availability of proven therapies to address the disorder, most people who need treatment don't receive it. For one thing, methadone is available only via a relatively few federal- and state-regulated opioid treatment program facilities. Expanding treatment options to pharmacies would greatly improve access to care. RECOMMENDATIONS 9. More than 40% of small businesses don't offer retirement benefits. Offering a retirement plan costs employers money and often involves consulting with financial professionals to administer and manage plan investments. One possible solution: state-facilitated IRA programs, in which employees at participating businesses are automatically enrolled. The state oversees the whole process, making it easier and cheaper for all parties. LEARN MORE 10. Rents have skyrocketed 30% over the past seven years. TRUST MAGAZINE The shortage of homes isn't the only housing challenge Americans are facing. Half the nation's renters are considered rent-burdened—that is, they spend more than 30% of their income on housing. FULL STORY Thank you for spending time with us in 2024. We wish you a safe, happy, and healthy new year.

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