Key Takeaways:
– Over one billion people live in acute poverty globally, with children constituting over half of these numbers.
– Countries ravaged by war report three times higher poverty rates.
– The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), published annually since 2010, gives an insight into poverty levels.
– The 2024 MPI reveals that 1.1 billion people experience multidimensional poverty, with 455 million residing in conflict-affected regions.
– Of the people under 18 in acute poverty, the percentage of children worldwide is 27.9%, while adults make up 13.5%.
– A significant percentage of the world’s poorest people, about 83.2%, live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
– India registers the highest number of people in extreme poverty, with Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo following closely.
Poverty and its Implications
It’s troubling to learn that more than one billion people are experiencing severe poverty worldwide, as highlighted in a recent UN Development Program report. Sadly, kids bear the brunt of this hardship, making up over half of those impacted. The report emphasized the significant rise of poverty rates in countries in the throes of war, with the year 2023 recording the highest number of conflicts globally since the Second World War.
Understanding the MPI
The UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) have been releasing their Multidimensional Poverty Index every year from 2010. This index collects data from 112 nations, with a combined population of 6.3 billion people. The MPI uses various pointers to measure poverty, including access to adequate housing, sanitation, electricity, cooking fuel, nutrition, and school attendance.
Statistics Paint a Grim Picture
The 2024 MPI reveals a grim reality, highlighting that 1.1 billion individuals are living in multidimensional poverty globally. Of these, 455 million remain in zones ravaged by conflict. Yanchun Zhang, chief statistician at the UNDP, also shared that the struggle for basic necessities is especially harsh and desperate for those living in conflict-ridden areas.
Children: The Vulnerable Victims
Children are the most vulnerable group when it comes to poverty. Around 584 million kids under 18 are living in conditions of acute poverty. This makes up a staggering 27.9% of all children globally, whereas adults in similar conditions account for only 13.5%. Thus, it becomes clear: children are hit harder by poverty than adults.
Where are the World’s Poorest People?
Most of the world’s poorest people, approximately 83.2%, live in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. In other words, these parts of the world have the most ground to cover in eradicating poverty. Globally, the country with the highest number of people living in extreme poverty is India, with an impressive 234 million of its 1.4 billion population affected. Pakistan, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of Congo follow behind India. These five countries together account for nearly half of the 1.1 billion impoverished people across the world.
Conflict: A Major Impediment to Poverty Reduction
It’s clear that conflict severely restrains efforts to reduce poverty. Out of those living in multidimensional poverty, an astonishing 455 million reside in places affected by war. The magnitude of people struggling to live a decent life and dealing with fear for their safety is a shocking reality. This highlights a challenge for the international community to focus not only on poverty reduction but also on fostering peace.
Reduction and complete eradication of poverty is by no means a straightforward task. It requires a comprehensive and efficient strategy addressing both material and non-material factors, as well as a coordinated global action. This grim reality reminds us of the work still to be done and the lives to be improved. It is a call to action for everyone — governments, organizations, and individuals alike — to not only acknowledge the severity of global poverty but also to work hard in challenging and eradicating it.
To ensure any peace derived from such actions lasts, the focus must shift to eliminating poverty and bringing about sustainable peace. In so doing, we are not only battling poverty but also contributing to a peaceful, harmonious world.