The Cato Institute listed the following as the top "wonderful trends" of the 20th century:

1. Life expectancy increased from 47 years to 77 years.
2. Infant mortality declined from 100 to 7, in deaths per 1,000 live births
3. Deaths from infectious diseases decreased from 100 to 50 (per 100,000 population)
4. Heart disease went down from 307 in 1950 to 126 (per 100,000 population)
5. Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) increased from $4,800 to $31,500
6. Manufacturing wage increased from $3.40 per hour to $12.50
7. Household assets increased from $6 trillion in 1945 to $41 trillion
8. Poverty rate declined from 40% of US households to 13%
9. Length of workweek decreased from 50 hours to 35
10. The number of agricultural workers declined from 35% of American workforce to 2.5%