The global average percentage of women in single or lower houses of national parliament reached approximately $27\%$ in 2024. While progress is steady, it is slow, and significant disparities remain.
3253
Which region currently has the **lowest internet penetration rate** (percentage of the population using the internet)?
Africa still lags significantly behind other regions, with an internet usage rate of around $37\%$ in 2024, compared to a global average of $68\%$ and over $90\%$ in Europe and the Americas.
3254
Which country, already the largest consumer, has the **largest operational solar power capacity** (MWac) globally, leading by a massive margin in 2024?
China dominates the solar sector, holding both the largest operational solar capacity (over $440,000$ MWac) and the largest prospective pipeline, far exceeding the combined capacity of the next few largest markets.
3255
Which country is the world's largest **total consumer of electricity** (in Terawatt-hours, TWh) as of recent 2024 data?
China is the largest consumer of electricity globally by a wide margin, with its consumption (over $10,000$ TWh in 2024 forecasts) driven by its massive manufacturing sector and large population. It accounts for roughly one-third of global electricity use.
3256
Approximately what percentage of the world's population is estimated to be using the Internet in 2024?
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) estimated that approximately $5.5$ billion people, or about $68\%$ of the world's population, are using the Internet in 2024. This highlights the growing, though still uneven, global connectivity.
3257
According to the IMF’s 2024 forecast, what is the approximate global headline inflation rate expected to be for the year?
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected in its late-2024 outlook that global headline inflation is forecast to decline steadily to approximately $5.9\%$ in 2024, down from higher rates in 2023, reflecting global monetary policy tightening.
3258
Which country transitioned from being the world's most populous to the second most populous nation in 2023-2024?
**China** was surpassed by India in 2023/2024 to become the world's second most populous nation. This shift is primarily due to China's decades of low fertility rates and India's continued population growth.
3259
What is the approximate annual growth rate of the world population?
The world population growth rate has significantly slowed and is now **below 1.0%** annually (around 0.87% in 2024). This slowing rate is primarily due to declining fertility rates in most regions.
3260
The global average life expectancy at birth is approximately what number (as of 2024)?
The worldwide average life expectancy at birth for the total population stands at approximately **73 years** (with some variations by source and exact year, often quoted as 73.3 years in 2024). This figure is significantly higher than a century ago, reflecting advances in global health.
