NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – The 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, published by the United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, reveals that over 1.2 billion individuals across 108 countries are living in severe poverty. This figure accounts for 18.9% of the 6.3 billion people covered by the study, marking a rise of 51.5 million from the previous update. Unlike income-based measures, this index evaluates hardships related to health, education, and living standards.
Researchers analyze ten indicators including nutrition, child mortality, schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, and household assets. The index considers a person multidimensionally poor if their deprivations sum to at least one-third of the weighted total. This approach captures multiple simultaneous hardships affecting households.
Children constitute over half of the global population identified as multidimensionally poor, totaling approximately 617 million, or 51.5% of the overall count. Nearly one-third of children included in the index experience multidimensional poverty. The burden is particularly heavy in rural areas, where about 83% of all multidimensionally poor individuals reside. These statistics highlight ongoing deficiencies in essential services, education, and living conditions across numerous nations.
Sub-Saharan Africa Holds the Largest Share
The region of Sub-Saharan Africa is home to roughly 616 million people living in multidimensional poverty, the highest number among all regions. This represents 51.4% of its 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 countries. Demographic updates, especially in countries without recent household surveys, increased the poverty count by 15.8 million people in 95 nations.
National trends vary considerably among countries with available historical data. Egypt, Nepal, and Tajikistan have seen reductions in both their multidimensional poverty rates and the affected populations. Angola and Zambia also decreased the proportion of their residents living in poverty, yet population growth resulted in higher total numbers. Conversely, Nigeria experienced an increase in both its poverty rate and affected population after previous improvements. These variations demonstrate that global figures can mask diverse national trajectories.
Persistent Declines in Multidimensional Poverty Are Evident in Several Countries
Long-term data reveal significant declines in multidimensional poverty across various regions. Of the 89 countries with trend data, 33 managed to halve their MPI within 15 years. Six of these nations are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eswatini reduced its multidimensional poverty rate from 38.7% to 8.0%. China experienced the quickest halving, dropping from 9.5% to 4.2% between 2010 and 2014. Viet Nam also achieved a 50% reduction within seven years.
The 1.2 billion figure diverges from estimates based solely on income-based extreme poverty. Multidimensional poverty encompasses various disadvantages, including inadequate education, poor nutrition, unsafe sanitation, and limited access to electricity or clean water. As a result, it offers a broader understanding of deprivation beyond income thresholds. The 2026 results underscore children, rural populations, and Sub-Saharan Africa as focal points in the latest global rise in poverty.