1.2 Billion People Now Face Multidimensional Poverty

In their 2026 annual report, the UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) identified an additional 51.5 million people living in acute poverty compared with the previous year. The organisations said this was the first recorded increase in 16 years.

“The increase in poverty must serve as a wake-up call for the whole world,” UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said in a statement.

“Behind these numbers are 1.2 billion people facing hardships that create a vicious cycle: hunger, children dropping out of school, and a lack of access to drinking water or electricity,” he added.

Children account for more than half of those affected

According to the UNDP and OPHI, children under 18 account for 51.5% of people experiencing multidimensional poverty.

However, the organisations noted that population growth plays a significant role in the increase. They also cautioned that new data were available for only 13 of the 108 countries covered by the report.

Despite the rise in the overall number of people affected, the report presents a mixed picture of global progress. Over the past 15 years, 33 countries have halved the proportion of their populations living in poverty according to the index.

Six of those countries are in sub-Saharan Africa. The UNDP said the fastest progress occurred in Asia, particularly in China and Vietnam.

Rural communities bear the greatest burden

Multidimensional poverty continues to affect rural populations more severely than urban communities. Almost 83.3% of people living in poverty worldwide reside in rural areas.

As in the previous year, most people experiencing the deepest poverty live in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, including the Indian subcontinent, the world’s most populous region.

De Cro stressed that countries could make further progress by working together to address poverty.

“We know that progress is possible,” he said. “Countries that tackled these challenges together, rather than each acting on its own, have shown that determined action can deliver results.”

What is multidimensional poverty?

Multidimensional poverty measures deprivation beyond income alone. The index considers factors including inadequate housing and sanitation, lack of electricity and clean cooking fuel, food insecurity and limited access to education.

The measure therefore captures how several disadvantages can overlap and affect people’s living conditions and opportunities.