Global poverty index rises for first time since 2010, reaching 1.2 billion

The United Nations agency, together with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), has reported in its 2026 annual report an increase of 51.5 million people living in extreme poverty compared to the previous year.

The UN Development Programme (UNDP) announced that the Multidimensional Poverty Index has recorded its first rise since its creation in 2010, bringing the total number of people affected to 1.2 billion. This is the first such increase in sixteen years, according to the two organizations.

Alexander De Croo, Director of the United Nations Development Programme, stated in a press release that "the rise in poverty rates should serve as a wake-up call for the entire world," adding that "behind these numbers are 1.2 billion people facing a vicious cycle: hunger, dropping out of school, and lack of access to drinking water or electricity."

According to the UNDP and OPHI, more than half of those affected (51.5%) are minors.

The organizations noted that population growth is a major factor in this increase, and that new data was available for only 13 out of the 108 countries covered by the report.

Despite the overall rise in the number of people living in poverty, the report presents a mixed picture. Over the past fifteen years, 33 countries have succeeded in halving the proportion of their populations living in poverty—as defined by the index—including six countries in sub-Saharan Africa. According to the UNDP, the fastest progress was recorded in Asia, particularly in China and Vietnam.

Extreme poverty remains more prevalent in rural areas than in urban ones, with nearly 83.3% of the world's poor living in rural regions. As in the previous year, the majority of the world's poorest people reside in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia (the Indian subcontinent), the world's most densely populated region.

De Croo added: "We know that progress is possible; countries that have faced these challenges collectively—rather than individually—have demonstrated what can be achieved through decisive action." Multidimensional poverty includes indicators such as inadequate housing, sanitation, electricity, cooking fuel, food, and access to education.