Global poverty index rises for first time since its 2010 creation

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has reported a rise in the global poverty index for the first time since its inception in 2010, with 1.2 billion people now living in acute poverty. This increase, which adds 51.5 million people to those affected in 2025 compared to 2024, highlights the struggles faced by millions, including hunger, missed schooling, and lack of basic necessities such as clean water and electricity.

UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo called this a wake-up call, emphasizing the unacceptable conditions that 1.2 billion individuals are facing. While population growth is a major factor in this increase, the report also notes progress in 33 nations, with notable improvements in several African countries and Asia, particularly China and Vietnam.

Despite the overall rise, the report also shows that the majority of the world's poorest people continue to reside in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, with a significant portion being children.

Brief written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.