Pew Charitable Trusts takes on some of today’s toughest issues, by applying a rigorous, analytical approach to improve public police, inform the public and invigorate civic life.
Here are the stats that drove Pew’s work in 2017:
1. Opioids claim 91 American lives daily
That sobering stat stems in part from two others:
• 90 percent of people who need treatment aren’t getting it.
Listen, and know their struggle — as well as a proven recovery strategy — in a uniquely personal episode of our “After the Fact” podcast.
2. The incarceration rate is down 13%
That’s welcome news, especially as it coincides with falling crime rates.
Pew’s Adam Gelb:
“We owe it to taxpayers to find lower-cost alternatives for these people who otherwise are just cycling in and out of these prisons.”
Behind the good news: Quick stats, charts, and maps.
3. 42% of working women report gender discrimination at work
In a survey taken before the recent wave of sexual misconduct allegations against prominent men in politics, the media, and other industries:
• 22 percent of working women said they’d experienced sexual harassment at work—covered separately in the survey.
See breakdowns by race and ethnicity, political party, and more from the Pew Research Center.
4. Two-thirds of Americans have zero savings
Overall the U.S. economy looks good. So why are many American families financially uneasy?
• Only a third say they have any savings at all.
More: Incomes up, stability still elusive.
5. 49% of Americans are relatively disengaged from information
At a time of confusion over news and information, a Pew Research Center survey explored how levels of trust and enthusiasm for learning impact how people engage with facts and information.
• 25 percent fall into the “Wary” category. They have the lowest level of trust in information sources and little interest in upgrading digital skills.
Five “information dispositions”: Which is yours?
6. Partisan gap has more than doubled
It’s not all in your mind — it’s in the numbers too: The divide between Republicans and Democrats has grown even wider, per the Pew Research Center.
• Party affiliation is by far the greatest determinant of difference in these issues—much more so than race, religious attendance, age, education, or gender.
Charted: See how partisan gaps have widened on a range of issues.
7. Area 3X the size of France protected
What a way to end the year. The world’s largest protected area just entered into force: Antarctica’s Ross Sea Region Marine Protected Area.
Why it matters:
• It safeguards nearly 800,000 square miles (2.06 million square kilometers) for penguins, whales, and more.
• Scientists have called it “the least altered marine ecosystem on Earth.”
See it for yourself — above and below the waves.
From The Pew Charitable Trusts