These are stories of global progress, compiled by the media group Fix the News and shared in partnership with The Advocate/The Times-Picayune.
Each story overview is linked to an original report or story with more information.
Greater access to digital IDs
The World Bank’s latest Identification for Development (ID4D)–Global Findex Database 2025 shows that the number of people worldwide without official proof of identity has dropped to 800 million — down from 850 million in 2021 and just over 1 billion in 2017. Foundational ID coverage for adults is now near universal in most regions, and access to digital IDs has improved. According to the data,
