Global Poverty Rises to 1.2 Billion People

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the University of Oxford reported that 1.2 billion people worldwide live in acute multidimensional poverty, marking the first increase in the global index since 2010. The 2026 Multidimensional Poverty Index update shows an increase of 51.5 million people since 2025, driven by population growth outpacing living standard improvements, demographic shifts, and revised estimates.

Children comprise more than half of the affected population at 617 million, while 83 percent of the poor reside in rural areas. Deprivations are most concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. While China halved its index value in four years and countries such as Egypt, Nepal, and Tajikistan saw declines, Nigeria experienced a reversal of previous gains.

In a separate report on Myanmar, the UNDP found that 17.9 million people live in multidimensional poverty and another 19.5 million are at risk. Conflict-related shocks and security instability have made poverty particularly acute in Kayah and Rakhine states, with high concentrations of deprived households in Ayeyawady, Sagaing, Mandalay, and Shan.

UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo described the global rise as a wake-up call for the world. He stated that the goal to halve poverty by 2030 remains achievable through collective action to address interconnected hardships in health, education, and living standards.