Global Multidimensional Poverty Rises to 1.2 Billion for First Time Since 2010
Global Multidimensional Poverty Rises to 1.2 Billion for First Time Since 2010
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The number of people living in acute multidimensional poverty worldwide has risen to 1.2 billion, marking the first increase since the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) was launched in 2010, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.
The 2026 report covers 108 countries with a combined population of 6.3 billion people, representing approximately 78 percent of the world’s population. It estimates that 18.9 percent of the population covered by the index experiences acute multidimensional poverty. The latest figure is 51.5 million higher than in the previous update on a comparable basis.
Children account for 617 million of those affected, or 51.5 percent of the total, while 83 percent of people experiencing multidimensional poverty live in rural areas. The index assesses overlapping disadvantages across three dimensions: health, education and living standards. Its indicators include nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling, school attendance, access to drinking water and sanitation, electricity, housing and household assets.
The report also highlights examples of progress. Among 89 countries with comparable data over time, 33 have reduced their Multidimensional Poverty Index value by at least half in fewer than 15 years. However, the overall increase reflects a combination of population growth, changes in poverty levels and differences in the coverage of survey indicators.
