New Delhi, India – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has released a sobering report revealing that India is among the five countries worldwide with the highest number of people living in acute poverty. According to the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) update, a staggering 1.1 billion individuals live in poverty worldwide, with India accounting for 234 million of this total. This troubling statistic places India firmly within a group of nations facing critical challenges in eradicating poverty. The report, which was published on Thursday in collaboration with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), underscores the deep-seated issues surrounding poverty, especially among children.
Over half of those living in poverty approximately 584 million are minors under the age of 18. Alarmingly, 27.9% of children globally live in poverty, compared to 13.5% of adults. Among the other nations highlighted in the report are Pakistan, with 93 million people living in poverty; Ethiopia, at 86 million; Nigeria, with 74 million; and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has 66 million. Together, these five countries account for nearly half (48.1%) of the world’s impoverished population. The report also sheds light on the impact of conflict on poverty levels. It notes that 455 million of the world's poor live in nations plagued by violent conflict, which has hindered and even reversed previous advancements in poverty reduction efforts.
Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator, emphasized the urgent need for action, stating, “We must accelerate action to support them. We need resources and access for specialized development and early recovery interventions to help break the cycle of poverty and crisis.” The statistics are alarming, with large segments of the poor population lacking basic necessities. The report indicates that 828 million people do not have adequate sanitation, 886 million lack proper housing, and 998 million are deprived of sufficient cooking fuel. Additionally, 637 million individuals live in households with at least one undernourished family member.
The report highlights the striking disparity between urban and rural poverty. Approximately 83.7% of poor people reside in rural areas, where poverty rates are significantly higher—28.0% in rural areas compared to just 6.6% in urban settings. As the global community grapples with these staggering figures, the UN's report serves as a clarion call for immediate action to address the multifaceted issues surrounding poverty, particularly in vulnerable populations. With the new data covering 112 countries and 6.3 billion people, it is clear that a coordinated response is essential to tackle the intertwined challenges of poverty and conflict on a global scale.
