Global poverty is on the rise. The United Nations and Oxford University’s Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) reports that acute poverty now affects 1.2 billion people. It marks an increase of more than 51 million from 2025.
In a statement, the UN Development Programme says children account for more than half of the billion figure and 83% live in rural areas. The index, which measures poverty beyond what people earn, examines overlapping hardship across health, education and the standard of living.
A person is considered “multidimensionally poor” if they are deprived in one-third or more of the indicators.
The index reveals that Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia account for the overwhelming majority of deprivations across every indicator.
The 2026 update – which covered 108 countries, representing some 78% of the global population – reveals that the increase in poverty is partly due to population growth outpacing efforts to improve living standards.
The UNDP’s Administrator Alexander De Croo says the rise in poverty should be a wake-up call for the world. He stresses that behind these figures are 1.2 billion people facing hardships that reinforce one another: hunger, missed schooling, and a lack of clean water or electricity. De Croo stressed that this is unacceptable.
