Multidimensional poverty rises to 1.2 billion worldwide for first time since 2010

A joint update by the United Nations Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative showed that the number of people living in multidimensional poverty has risen for the first time since the index was launched in 2010, reaching 1.2 billion people.

The update said this figure represents an increase of 51.5 million people compared with the previous update, noting that more than half of them—equivalent to 617 million people—are children, and that 83% of them live in rural areas.

Nevertheless, the update said several countries continued to make notable progress in reducing poverty at a rapid pace and on a large scale, and added that these combined results highlight the urgent need for renewed action while keeping the prospect of success within reach.

UNDP director Alexander De Croo expressed concern at the rising figures, saying that behind the 1.2 billion number are people jointly facing problems such as hunger, school dropouts, and lack of clean water or electricity, and explaining that these burdens are intertwined but not inevitable and that progress is possible through determined action.

The report notes that the multidimensional poverty index goes beyond the traditional income standard and measures how deprivations affect people's daily lives, and classifies a person as multidimensionally poor if they are deprived in at least one-third of the ten weighted indicators.

The 2026 update covers about 108 developing countries and these countries represent about 78% of the world's population, providing a broad view of the depth and spread of multidimensional poverty, according to the joint report.