The number of people living in multidimensional poverty has risen to 1.2 billion, marking the first increase in 15 years. This finding comes from the 2026 update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), a joint publication by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford University. The index measures overlapping hardships across health, education, and standard of living.
1.2 Billion People Face Overlapping Hardships
The 2026 update identifies 51.5 million more people in poverty compared to the previous year’s data. More than half of this total, 617 million, are children. The vast majority, 83 percent, reside in rural areas. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia account for the overwhelming majority of deprivations across every indicator measured.
“The rise in poverty should be a wake-up call for the world,” said UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo. “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. This is unacceptable.”
The MPI was developed in 2010 to measure poverty beyond income. It examines 10 indicators, including nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling, and access to electricity, drinking water, and sanitation. A person is considered multidimensionally poor if they are deprived in one-third or more of these indicators.
Population Growth Outpaces Progress
The 2026 update covers 108 countries, representing approximately 78 percent of the global population. The rise in poverty is partly attributed to population growth outpacing efforts to improve living standards. In 95 countries where no new survey data was available, updated population estimates increased the number of people counted as poor by nearly 16 million.
The remainder of the increase comes from 13 countries where data was gathered. This reflects genuine changes in poverty incidence, demographic shifts, and differences in indicator coverage. The updated surveys revealed a mixed picture on the ground. Five countries, including Egypt, Nepal, and Tajikistan, reduced the share of people living in multidimensional poverty.
However, population growth outpaced poverty reduction in both Angola and Zambia, meaning the total number of people living in poverty still increased. Nigeria provides an example of how fragile progress can be. Although the country made significant reductions in multidimensional poverty in the 2010s, both the poverty rate and the number of people struggling to make ends meet have increased.
Progress and Challenges in Poverty Reduction
The international community has pledged to reduce the proportion of people living in poverty by at least half before the end of this decade, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The authors of the 2026 MPI update believe this target is achievable. De Croo noted that countries tackling these challenges together have shown what determined action can achieve.
UNDP reported that 33 countries have halved their MPI value in fewer than 15 years, including six in sub-Saharan Africa. In Eswatini, the share of people living in multidimensional poverty has fallen from nearly 39 percent to eight percent. China recorded the fastest reduction among countries with available data, halving its MPI value from 9.5 percent to 4.2 percent in just four years between 2010 and 2014.
Despite these successes, the report highlights severe challenges in specific regions. Years of conflict, displacement, economic disruption, and climate shocks in Myanmar have led to the simultaneous collapse of shelter, healthcare, schooling, and livelihoods affecting millions of people, according to the UNDP.
Source: UN News
