Facts & Trends

The suicide rate in South Korea has more than doubled in the past decade, the government said this week.  South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world; for citizens in their 20s and 30s, suicide is ...

An anonymous "Secret Santa" traveled to New Jersey and New York last week to hand out $100 bills to people who'd lost their homes and possessions in Hurricane Sandy.  The Kansas City, Mo., businessman spent a day in Elizabeth, N.J., and ...

Kilowatt-hours of energy used each year by the average Ethiopian citizen: 52 By the average U.S. refrigerator: 454 ...

The Commonwealth Fund ranked health care systems in 11 wealthy nations according to criteria such as quality and access. Below, a sampling of the rankings: ...

75%: The percentage of wages earned by full-time black and Latino retail workers relative to their white counterparts, according to a June 2 report from the NAACP and the liberal think tank Demos ...

City officials in Chengdu, China, have been painting the city's grass green to make residents think spring is here.The ruse came to light when some residents noticed unpainted patches of yellowish winter grass, and others found the green paint coming off ...

A Pew survey found that one in five Americans is not affiliated with any religion. “Nones” are growing faster than any religious group in America ...

A Telefonica - Financial Times survey asked more than 12,000 millennials if their country's "best days" lay ahead. Here's the positive vote by the region... Asia - 79% Latin America - 78% Central and Eastern Europe - 69% Middle East ...

Researchers who swabbed and tested DNA from surfaces in New York City's subway system identified 562 species of bacteria, including microbes from mozzarella, sausage, hummus, kimchi, sauerkraut, rats, mice, and lice. Geneticist Christopher E. Mason said the bacteria found were ...

In 2011, the poorest 20 percent of Americans gave 3.2 percent of their income to charity.  The wealthiest 20 percent were far stingier, donating just 1.3 percent.  Researchers say those with less to share may have "higher empathy" because they're ...