The 2026 global Multidimensional Poverty Index, published by the UN Development Programme and Oxford University, counts 1.2 billion people experiencing overlapping hardships—51.5 million more than in the 2025 update. Covering 108 countries that represent approximately 78 percent of the world's population, it assesses health, education, and living standards rather than income alone. Children account for 617 million of those counted, more than half the total, while 83 percent live in rural areas. UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo warned that the increase demands international attention.
Population growth partly explains the rise, having outpaced improvements in living standards. In 95 countries without new survey data, revised population estimates added nearly 16 million people to the poverty count. The remaining increase came from 13 countries with updated surveys, reflecting changes in poverty incidence, demographics, and indicator coverage. Egypt, Nepal, Tajikistan, Angola, and Zambia reduced their poverty proportions; nevertheless, population growth meant that the absolute numbers increased in Angola and Zambia. Nigeria also illustrates the fragility of progress: after substantial reductions during the 2010s, both its poverty rate and total count have risen.
Despite these setbacks, the update's authors consider the international commitment to halve the proportion of people living in poverty before the decade ends achievable. De Croo stressed the value of addressing interconnected hardships together. UNDP reported that 33 countries, including six in sub-Saharan Africa, halved their index values in fewer than 15 years. In Eswatini, the proportion experiencing multidimensional poverty declined from nearly 39 percent to eight percent.
