The UN Warns of Rising Global Poverty

According to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford, 1.2 billion people worldwide live in extreme multidimensional poverty. Of these, 617 million are children. Around 83% of people living in poverty reside in rural areas.

The report covers 108 developing countries and assesses poverty based on 10 indicators related to health, education and living standards. Population growth, demographic changes and setbacks in previous progress in some countries have contributed to the increase in poverty.

Nevertheless, Egypt, Nepal and Tajikistan have managed to reduce both their poverty rates and the number of people living in poverty. In Eswatini, the poverty rate fell from 38.7% to 8% over 15 years.

The UN aims to reduce all forms of poverty by at least half by 2030. The report emphasizes that despite the deterioration in global indicators, targeted measures and consistent policies can deliver tangible results in reducing poverty.