Which world problems are the most important to solve? – 80,000 Hours

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Introduction

Your most important decision

Summary

Foundations

A definition of impact

Future generations & their moral significance

Effective altruism

Global priorities

Why problem selection is crucial

The case for reducing existential risks

This could be the most important century

Our current list of pressing problems

Solutions

The best solutions are far more effective

Leverage

What is leverage, and how to get it?

Our list of high-impact careers

Personal fit

Fit is more important than you think

Strategy

What is career capital?

How much to explore?

Coordination and impact

Balancing impact and doing what you love

Aim higher: a rational case for dreaming big

Three career stages

Conclusion

How much do careers differ in impact?

Read the full guide →
Go to problems hub →
Top areas to work on

Positively shaping the development of AI

Global priorities research

Building effective altruism

Reducing the risk of catastrophic pandemics

Nuclear security

Improving institutional decision making

Extreme climate change

Other promising areas

Mitigating great power conflict

Global governance

Space governance

See all →

Go to problems hub →

Join our newsletter to get weekly updates on research, events, and high-impact job openings.
See all our career reviews →
Key categories of impactful careers

Government and policy

Organisation-building at effective nonprofits

Research

Applying an unusual strength to a needed niche

Communication

Earning to give

List of top-recommended career paths

AI safety technical research

Long-term AI policy

Founder of new projects

Helping build the effective altruism community

Grantmaker

Operations management in high-impact organisations

Research into global priorities

Biorisk research, strategy, and policy

China-related AI safety and governance

Forecasting research and implementation

Sometimes-recommended paths

High-impact but especially competitive

Promising but under-researched

Impactful if you’re an especially good fit

Recommended career capital

Steps to build your skills and network

Making the most of your current job

Doing good in any career

How to invest in yourself

See all our career reviews →
See all planning resources →
Create a high-impact career plan

8-week career planning course

Summary

Career plan template

Annual career check-up

Make good career decisions

Make an immediate decision

Improve your decision-making skills

See all planning resources →

Join our newsletter to get weekly updates on research, events, and high-impact job openings.
Selected topics

Moral philosophy

Skills

Job satisfaction

Anonymous advice

Unconventional advice

What to study

Advocacy

Catastrophic risks

Meta-causes

Priority paths

See all topics →

Top articles from outside our guides

What makes for a dream job?

Best charities to donate to

Misconceptions about effective altruism

High-impact research questions

What are your chances of getting elected to Congress, if you try?

How many lives does a doctor save?

What's the impact of voting?

Advice for undergraduates

All articles →

2017 career guide

All career guide pages →
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Part 5: Which world problems are the most pressing to solve?

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80,000 Hours is part of the Centre for Effective Altruism, a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity Number 1149828) and a registered 501(c)(3) Exempt Organization in the USA (EIN 47-1988398).

Please contact us to suggest ideas, improvements, or corrections.

We do our best to provide useful information, but how you use the information is up to you. We don’t take responsibility for any loss that results from the use of information on the site. Please consult our full legal disclaimer and privacy policy.

© 2021 – all rights reserved. Please contact us if you wish to redistribute, translate, or adapt this work.