UN reports 1.2 billion people in poverty

The Programme des Nations Unies pour le Développement (PNUD) reported Monday that 1.2 billion people live in multidimensional poverty, marking the first increase in the global poverty index since its creation in 2010.

In its 2026 annual report, the PNUD and the Initiative d’Oxford sur la pauvreté et le développement humain (OPHI) found that 51.5 million more people are in acute poverty compared to the previous year. PNUD Administrator Alexander de Croo stated that the rise should serve as a warning to the world, noting that these individuals face a cycle of difficulties including hunger, lack of schooling, and limited access to electricity or clean water.