NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – For the first time since its inception in 2010, global multidimensional poverty has increased, affecting 1.2 billion individuals across 108 countries. The 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index assesses 6.3 billion people and finds that 18.9% are experiencing severe multidimensional deprivation. This latest figure is 51.5 million higher than the previous update on a comparable basis. UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo described the rise as a “wake-up call for the world.” The index evaluates overlapping deprivations in health, education, and living conditions, rather than solely income levels.
The recent update was compiled by the United Nations Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. Their index incorporates 10 indicators, including nutrition, schooling, sanitation, access to drinking water, electricity, housing, and household assets. It also considers child mortality, school attendance, and cooking fuel. A person is classified as multidimensionally poor if deprivations in these areas reach at least one-third of the weighted indicators. This framework offers policymakers a comprehensive view of hardship that surpasses traditional income thresholds.
Children make up over half of the population living in multidimensional poverty. Approximately 617 million children are included, accounting for 51.5% of the global total, with nearly one in three children affected by multidimensional deprivation. Rural communities bear an even greater share of this burden, with around 83% of all multidimensionally poor individuals residing in rural areas, where gaps in essential services remain widespread in many countries covered by the dataset.
Sub-Saharan Africa Faces the Largest Challenge
Among regions, Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest number of people living in multidimensional poverty—616 million—representing 51.4% of its population included in the index. The 2026 update also includes new survey data from 13 countries and subnational estimates for 1,360 regions across 100 nations. In 95 countries lacking recent survey data, updated population figures added 15.8 million individuals to the count of those experiencing multidimensional deprivation this year.
Country-specific results reveal both progress and setbacks. Egypt, Nepal, and Tajikistan saw notable declines in both their poverty rates and total affected populations. Angola and Zambia managed to reduce their proportions of poor people, though overall numbers increased due to population growth. Nigeria, however, experienced a reversal, with both the poverty rate and the number of people in multidimensional poverty rising after earlier improvements during the 2010s.
Over Thirty Countries Achieve 50% Reduction in Multidimensional Poverty
Historical data demonstrates that substantial declines are achievable across different regions and income groups. Of the 89 countries with available trend data, 33 countries have halved their MPI scores in less than 15 years. Six of these are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eswatini notably reduced its multidimensional poverty rate from 38.7% to 8.0%. China experienced the most rapid decline, with its MPI halving fastest among nations with data, while Viet Nam managed to cut its MPI value by half within seven years.
The 2026 report underscores the difference between multidimensional poverty and income-based extreme poverty. The MPI captures the simultaneous lack of access to essential services, whereas income poverty relies on a monetary cutoff. Consequently, the new findings do not imply that 1.2 billion people live below the extreme poverty income threshold. Instead, they highlight that over one billion individuals face overlapping hardships in basic needs, with children and rural populations representing the largest segments.