NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – The 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index shows that for the first time since 2010, global multidimensional poverty has risen. According to the report, 1.2 billion individuals are experiencing severe deprivation across 108 nations. This figure accounts for 18.9% of the 6.3 billion people included in the analysis. The total has increased by 51.5 million compared to the previous update. The index evaluates hardships in health, education, and living standards, moving beyond income measurements alone.
The latest assessment was produced by the United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. Researchers analyze 10 key indicators, including nutrition, child mortality, schooling, school attendance, and cooking fuel. They also examine sanitation, access to drinking water, electricity, housing quality, and household assets. Individuals are classified as multidimensionally poor when their weighted deprivations reach at least one-third of the total. This approach captures multiple concurrent hardships faced by households.
Children make up more than half of all people identified as multidimensionally poor globally. Approximately 617 million children live under these conditions, representing 51.5% of the total. Nearly one-third of children covered by the index suffer from multidimensional poverty. Rural communities bear a much heavier burden than urban areas, with around 83% of all multidimensionally poor individuals residing in rural regions. These statistics emphasize ongoing deficiencies in basic services, education, and living conditions across numerous countries.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for the largest share
With roughly 616 million people living in multidimensional poverty, Sub-Saharan Africa holds the highest number of affected individuals among all regions. This population represents 51.4% of the region’s population included in the index. The 2026 report incorporates new survey data from 13 countries and provides subnational estimates for 1,360 regions across 100 nations. Population data updates influenced results in countries lacking recent household surveys. In 95 of these countries, demographic adjustments added 15.8 million people to the poverty count.
National trends vary widely among countries with comparable historical data. Egypt, Nepal, and Tajikistan saw declines in both their multidimensional poverty rates and the number of people affected. Angola and Zambia also reduced the proportion of residents living in multidimensional poverty, although population growth caused their total numbers to increase. Nigeria experienced rises in both its poverty rate and the affected population after previous improvements. These patterns demonstrate that global totals can mask significant national differences.
Several nations demonstrate enduring progress in reducing poverty
Long-term data also highlight notable declines in multidimensional poverty in various regions. Out of 89 countries with available trend information, 33 managed to halve their MPI scores within 15 years. Six of these nations are situated in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eswatini decreased its multidimensional poverty rate from 38.7% to 8.0%. China achieved the fastest reduction, dropping from 9.5% to 4.2% between 2010 and 2014. Viet Nam also managed to cut its MPI by half within seven years.
The 1.2 billion figure differs from estimates of extreme income poverty, as the multidimensional measure considers various disadvantages that can occur simultaneously. These include inadequate education, poor nutrition, unsafe sanitation, and limited access to electricity or clean water. Consequently, this broader indicator offers a more comprehensive view of deprivation than income thresholds alone. The 2026 findings place particular focus on children, rural populations, and Sub-Saharan Africa in the context of the latest global rise in poverty.