Is the world getting better, or worse?

A few days ago, on Facebook, the following graphic caught my eye.

From http://www.businessinsider.com/the-world-is-becoming-a-better-place-2014-10#ixzz3HumR3IGy

Average life expectancy in England in 1843 was only 40 years. According to How the Mid-Victorians Worked, Ate and Died., those who survived being born, accidents & infections in the first five years of life lived to a ripe old age, despite no modern drugs or other medical technology.

This suggests that mortality between the ages of zero to five was ~50% back then. Yikes.

Click the link in the caption to see other ways in which the world has got better.