The choice of problem area is probably the most important factor in how much of a difference you will make in your professional life. You can compare it to investing money in the stock market. Two people investing the same amount can get very different returns depending on what they invest in. Likewise, your expected “return” in world improvement will be largely determined by the problem you direct your efforts toward.
Source: 80,000 Hours
Many who want to do good choose problems based on gut feeling or personal experience. It is understandable. There are many of us whose desire to improve the world was ignited when we first came into contact with injustice and suffering. Perhaps it was a family member who suffered an illness, a friend who was subjected to discrimination or images in the media that sparked the commitment. But even if it was a certain issue we felt strongly about initially, it often pays to think a second time before acting. Based on several years of analysis, 80,000 Hours estimates that your impact can be 100x greater if you are strategic in your choice of problem. If you are passionate about children’s health and want to promote vaccinations, your money can, for example, help a hundred times more people in countries that have significantly lower vaccination rates than Sweden.
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The world's biggest problems and why they're not what first comes to mind – article by 80,000 Hours