Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World
But Rate of Growth Expected at Slower Pace than Past Two Decades Washington, D.C. — The world’s Muslim population is expected to increase by about 35% in the next 20 years, rising from 1.6 billion in 2010 to 2.2 billion by 2030, according to a new, comprehensive report released today by the Pew Research Center’s […]
More than seven-in-ten Indians have confidence in Barack Obama and about two-thirds express a favorable opinion of the U.S. Indians are also upbeat about their country’s economic situation and its role in world affairs. Still, most say India faces major challenges, including crime and corruption. And there are widespread concerns about Pakistan and extremist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba.
Brazilians are relatively upbeat about the state of their country, although they still see serious challenges, including illegal drugs, crime and political corruption. And Brazilians are confident about their country’s place in the world: most say Brazil already is or will eventually be one of the world’s leading powers.
Three stories topped the news last week—the economy, the aftermath of the 2010 midterms and the president’s trip to Asia—and all three involved narratives that were not positive for President Obama. The week’s other top stories included a cruise gone awry and a former president resurfacing on the media circuit to pitch his new book.
A new Pew Forum report on the size, distribution and growth of the global Muslim population finds that the world’s Muslim population is expected to increase by about 35% in the next 20 years, but it is expected to grow at a slower pace in the next two decades than it did in the previous two decades.
The social media were galvanized last week by the WikiLeaks dissemination of secret U.S. documents—sharing and commenting on a number of different elements in the story. Twitter users drew even more attention, though, to a major scientific discovery largely uncovered in the mainstream press.
The agreement on tax cuts between President Obama and GOP leaders led to a complex online conversation which revealed deep tensions within one party. The WikiLeaks controversy, a hot topic for the second week in a row, drew a more unified response. And on YouTube, a tragic stunt on live German television drew worldwide attention.