Global poverty index rises for first time since 2010

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative have reported that the global multidimensional poverty index has increased for the first time since its inception in 2010. According to the 2026 annual report, approximately 1.2 billion people are now experiencing acute multidimensional poverty worldwide. This shift marks a reversal in the long-term trend of declining poverty rates recorded by the index over the past decade and a half. The data indicates that the majority of individuals affected by this rise in poverty remain concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.