Global poverty and multidimensional deprivation levels rise

Recent reports from the World Bank and the UNDP/Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) highlight a significant increase in global poverty and economic instability. According to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, approximately 1.198 billion people—18.9% of the global population—live in multidimensional poverty, which accounts for deficits in health, education, and living standards. This marks the first increase in the total number of poor people since the index was established in 2010, with a rise of 51.5 million people.

The World Bank reports that in economies affected by conflict and fragility, poverty levels are nearly four times the global average. In these regions, 38.9% of the population lives on less than $3 a day, compared to 10.1% globally. Furthermore, 81.1% of people in conflict-affected economies live on less than $8.30 per day.

Specific regional trends show that multidimensional poverty increased in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Guinea, Kyrgyzstan, and Nigeria, with Nigeria seeing the largest surge of 17.9 million people. Notably, over half of those living in multidimensional poverty—617 million people—are children under the age of 18.