A report by the UN Development Program (UNDP) reveals that over one billion people worldwide are living in severe poverty, with children making up more than half of this number.
The report, which was co-authored with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), emphasizes that poverty rates in conflict-affected nations are three times higher than in peaceful regions.
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The year 2023 saw a record number of global conflicts, the highest since World War II.
The UNDP and OPHI's Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), published annually since 2010, analyzes data from 112 countries, encompassing a total population of 6.3 billion.
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The index evaluates various factors, including inadequate housing, lack of sanitation, electricity, nutrition, access to clean cooking fuel, and school attendance.
The 2024 MPI report reveals that 1.1 billion people are enduring multidimensional poverty, with 455 million living in conflict-affected regions.
UNDP chief statistician Yanchun Zhang noted, "For those in war-torn areas, the fight for basic needs becomes an even more desperate struggle." This year's report echoes the previous year's findings, which found that 1.1 billion people across 110 countries were in extreme poverty.
Children are particularly affected, with 584 million minors, or 27.9% of children globally, living in extreme poverty compared to 13.5% of adults. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are home to 83.2% of the world's poorest people.
Sabina Alkire, OPHI director, emphasized how conflicts hinder poverty alleviation, stating, "The magnitude of people both struggling to survive and fearing for their safety—455 million—was shocking."
India has the highest number of extremely poor people, with 234 million out of its 1.4 billion population.
Other countries heavily impacted by extreme poverty include Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, collectively accounting for nearly half of the world's 1.1 billion poorest people.
