New Philosopher – July 2019

NewPhilosopher

Death stats

Every year 50 billion chickens,

1.5billionpigs, 500 millionsheep,

400 million goats, and 300 mil-

lioncattleareslaughteredforhu-

manconsumption.

Globally, in 2016 the adult mor-

tality rate — the probability of

someone over the age of 15 dy-

ing before reaching his/her 60th

birthday — was 142 per 1,000

population, or 14.2 per cent.

21 countries performed execu-

tionsin2018.Thecountrieswith

thehighestnumberofpeopleex-

ecutedin 2018 wereChina,Iran,

Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Iraq,

Egypt, USA, Japan, Pakistan,

andSingapore.

Of the 56.9 million deaths – just

under one per cent of the popu-

lation – worldwide in 2016, 27

per cent were due to the top two

causes: heart disease and stroke.

Road injuries killed 1.4 million

peoplein2016,aboutthree-quar-

ters(74percent)ofwhomwere

menandboys.HIV/AIDSkilled 1

millionpeople,andtuberculosis

1.3million.

The median cost of a funeral

with viewing and burial in the

USin 2014 wasUSD$7,181.Prices

for burial caskets rose 230 per

centfromDecember 1986 toSep-

tember2017.

The first funerals in Egypt date
back to 4,000 BCE. People were
buried in a round grave with one
pot, which was probably intend-
ed to hold food for the deceased.

The number of people who will

die in the next 15 years is equiva-

lent to the entire world popula-

tion in 1800.

Of the 9.77 million who died in

2014 in China, 45.6 per cent were

cremated. An attraction in Shang-

hai gives participants the oppor-

tunity to experience virtual cre-

mation before being ‘resurrected’

through a latex womb chute.

The Aokigahara Forest at the

base of Mount Fuji, Japan, has

various signs to visitors, such as,

“Please consult the police before

you decide to die!” More than 500

people have committed suicide

there in the past 70 years.