NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – For the first time since its inception in 2010, the global measure of multidimensional poverty has shown an upward trend. The 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index indicates that 1.2 billion individuals are living under severe deprivation in 108 nations. This figure accounts for 18.9% of the 6.3 billion people included in the study. Compared to the previous update, the total has risen by 51.5 million. The index evaluates hardship across health, education, and living standards, rather than income alone.
Produced through collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, the latest assessment analyzes 10 key indicators. These cover nutrition, child mortality, access to schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing conditions, and household assets. The index classifies individuals as multidimensionally poor when their combined deprivations reach at least one-third of the total weighted score. This approach captures the multiple hardships that can simultaneously impact a household.
Children make up over half of those identified as multidimensionally poor globally, with approximately 617 million children affected, representing 51.5% of the total. Nearly one-third of children included in the index face multidimensional poverty. Rural populations experience a disproportionate burden, with roughly 83% of all multidimensionally poor individuals residing in rural areas. These statistics highlight enduring disparities in essential services, education, and living conditions across numerous nations.
Sub-Saharan Africa Exhibits the Highest Proportion
Within the global picture, about 616 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa are living in multidimensional poverty—more than any other region. This accounts for 51.4% of the region’s population included in the index. The 2026 report incorporates new survey data from 13 countries and offers subnational estimates for 1,360 regions across 100 countries. Updated population figures influenced the results, especially in nations lacking recent household surveys. In 95 such countries, demographic revisions added 15.8 million individuals to the poverty tally.
National trends show considerable variation among countries with comparable historical data. For example, Egypt, Nepal, and Tajikistan have experienced declines in both their multidimensional poverty rates and the total number of affected people. Angola and Zambia have reduced the percentage of their populations living in poverty, but due to population growth, their absolute numbers have still risen. Nigeria, however, has seen increases in both its poverty rate and the total affected population after previous improvements. These findings underscore how global totals can conceal diverse national patterns.
Persistent Reductions in Poverty Seen in Several Nations
Historical data also demonstrate notable progress in reducing multidimensional poverty over time across various regions. Among 89 countries with trend information, 33 managed to halve their MPI values within 15 years. Six of these nations are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eswatini reduced its multidimensional poverty rate from 38.7% to 8.0%. China achieved the fastest decline among countries with available data, dropping from 9.5% to 4.2% between 2010 and 2014. Viet Nam also halved its MPI value over a span of seven years.
The 1.2 billion figure differs from estimates of extreme poverty based solely on income. Multidimensional poverty encompasses multiple disadvantages, such as inadequate education, poor nutrition, unsafe sanitation, and limited access to electricity or clean water. This broader approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of deprivation than income thresholds alone. The 2026 findings place particular emphasis on children, rural populations, and Sub-Saharan Africa as key areas experiencing increases in global poverty.