Global multidimensional poverty hits 1.2 billion as child hardship deepens

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 12– The number of people living in acute multidimensional poverty worldwide has risen for the first time since a global index was launched in 2010, reaching 1.2…

The 2026 update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) estimates that 51.5 million more people are living in multidimensional poverty than in the previous update on a like-for-like basis, highlighting the challenge of addressing overlapping deprivations in health, education and living standards.

Of the 1.2 billion people affected, 617 million are children, while 83 per cent live in rural areas, where access to essential services and infrastructure remains a critical factor in living conditions.

UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said the increase should prompt renewed global action to address the interconnected hardships faced by poor households.

“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,” De Croo said.

Source: Capital FM