The Scale of Suffering
5M
Children Under 5
Number of children who die annually from preventable causes. 2.4M die in the first 28 days of life. Learn more
343M
Facing Hunger
Number of people affected by hunger globally in 2025, with 1.9M on the brink of famine. Learn more
27.6M
Modern Slavery
Number of people living in modern slavery today, including forced labor and human trafficking. Learn more
Natural Disasters
Deadliest Natural Disasters
Deaths
4M
3M
2M
1M
0
1931
China
Floods
China
Floods
1887
Yellow
River
Yellow
River
1938
Yellow
River
Yellow
River
1556
Shaanxi
Quake
Shaanxi
Quake
1976
Tangshan
Quake
Tangshan
Quake
1970
Bhola
Cyclone
Bhola
Cyclone
1839
India
Cyclone
India
Cyclone
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Animal Suffering
The vast majority of suffering on Earth occurs among wild animals. Many species produce hundreds or thousands of offspring, with only a tiny fraction surviving to adulthood:
- A single female Atlantic cod can produce 9 million eggs, with 99.99% dying before maturity (NOAA Fisheries)
- Sea turtles lay 110 eggs per nest, with only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings surviving to adulthood (FFWCC)
- Female oysters release 50-100 million eggs annually, with survival rates below 0.1% (Sea Grant Texas)
- Only 2% of frog eggs will survive to adulthood (Woodland Trust))
- Salmon produce 2,500-7,000 eggs per female, with 85% mortality before adulthood (NOAA)
This reproductive strategy (r-selection) ensures massive suffering as the default state in nature, with trillions of animals experiencing painful deaths through starvation, predation, disease, and exposure (Nature Ecology & Evolution).
The total amount of suffering per year in the natural world is beyond all decent contemplation. During the minute it takes me to compose this sentence, thousands of animals are being eaten alive; others are running for their lives, whimpering with fear; others are being slowly devoured from within by rasping parasites; thousands of all kinds are dying of starvation, thirst and disease.
Evolutionary Suffering
The fossil record reveals billions of years of suffering before humans existed:
445-440 million years ago
Ordovician-Silurian Extinction
85%
Marine species lost
2
Major extinction pulses
The first major mass extinction, occurring in two pulses. A severe glaciation period combined with falling sea levels caused massive habitat loss. Organisms with calcium carbonate shells were particularly affected.
Evidence:
- Geological records showing rapid glaciation and sea level changes
- Graptolite and trilobite fossils showing sudden disappearance in strata
- Carbon isotope excursions indicating climate disruption
375-360 million years ago
Late Devonian Extinction
75%
Species eliminated
15-20M
Years duration
A prolonged series of extinctions that devastated marine ecosystems. Reef-building organisms were virtually eliminated, and the first forests may have contributed to anoxic conditions in the oceans.
Evidence:
- Geochemical analysis showing ocean anoxia (oxygen depletion)
- Fossil records of ammonoids and reef-building organisms showing abrupt decline
- Black shale deposits indicating low oxygen conditions
252 million years ago
Permian-Triassic Extinction
96%
Marine species lost
70%
Terrestrial vertebrates lost
83%
Insect genera lost
The most severe mass extinction in Earth's history, affecting both marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Massive volcanic eruptions in the Siberian Traps released enormous quantities of carbon dioxide and methane, causing extreme global warming, ocean acidification, and widespread anoxia.
Evidence:
- Carbon isotope excursions in rocks indicating massive volcanic eruptions
- Microfossil analysis showing ocean acidification
- Stratigraphic boundaries showing abrupt species disappearance
- Pyrite framboids indicating hydrogen sulfide poisoning in oceans
201 million years ago
Triassic-Jurassic Extinction
80%
Species eliminated
42%
Terrestrial genera lost
Massive volcanic eruptions from the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province caused climate disruption, releasing carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide leading to global warming and acid rain. This created ecological space for dinosaurs to dominate.
Evidence:
- Mercury anomalies in sedimentary rocks indicating volcanic activity
- Pollen records showing abrupt vegetation changes
- Carbon isotope excursions suggesting methane release
66 million years ago
Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction
75%
Species eliminated
10km
Asteroid diameter
The extinction that killed all non-avian dinosaurs was caused by a massive asteroid impact at Chicxulub, Mexico. The impact triggered tsunamis, wildfires, and a global "impact winter" as dust blocked sunlight for years, collapsing food chains worldwide.
Evidence:
- Global iridium layer at K-Pg boundary
- Chicxulub crater in Mexico dates to exact extinction time
- Fossil record shows abrupt disappearance of numerous species
- Evidence of tsunami deposits, shocked quartz, and tektites
Conclusion
The empirical reality of suffering throughout natural history reveals it to be the predominant experience for most sentient beings that have ever existed. The scale, distribution, and apparent pointlessness of much suffering presents a profound challenge to finding meaning in a world where pain appears to be the default state.
Understanding the true scale of suffering may help us develop more compassionate responses to the suffering we can affect, while honestly confronting the limitations of our ability to make sense of a world where suffering is so pervasive.
Responding to "Evil Requires Good"
My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?
The answer is simple. He is comparing this universe with his own idea of what justice should look like.