NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – For the first time since the inception of the measurement in 2010, the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index shows an increase in global multidimensional poverty, affecting 1.2 billion individuals across 108 nations. This figure accounts for 18.9% of the 6.3 billion people included in the study, marking a rise of 51.5 million from the previous report. Unlike income-based assessments, this index measures hardships related to health, education, and living conditions.
The latest analysis was conducted by the United Nations Development Programme in collaboration with the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative. It evaluates 10 indicators, including nutrition, child mortality, schooling, school attendance, and cooking fuel. Sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing, and household assets are also considered. A person is classified as multidimensionally poor if their weighted deprivations total at least one-third of the maximum. This approach captures multiple simultaneous hardships within households.
Children constitute over half of the people identified as multidimensionally poor globally. Approximately 617 million children are affected, representing 51.5% of all individuals in this situation. Nearly one-third of children covered by the index face multidimensional poverty. Rural populations bear a significantly higher burden than urban areas, with about 83% of the multidimensionally poor living in rural settings. These numbers underscore ongoing disparities in basic services, education, and living standards across numerous nations.
Sub-Saharan Africa shows the highest share
In sub-Saharan Africa, roughly 616 million people live in multidimensional poverty, the largest figure among all regions. This amounts to 51.4% of the region’s population included in the index. The 2026 edition integrates new survey data from 13 countries and offers subnational estimates for 1,360 regions across 100 nations. Changes in population data, especially in countries lacking recent household surveys, influenced the overall results. In 95 countries without updated surveys, demographic revisions added 15.8 million people to the poverty count.
National trends display considerable variation among countries with comparable historical data. Egypt, Nepal, and Tajikistan reported decreases in both their multidimensional poverty rates and the number of affected individuals. Angola and Zambia also saw reductions in the share of residents experiencing multidimensional poverty, yet overall numbers increased due to population growth. Nigeria experienced rises in both its poverty rate and total affected population following prior improvements. These patterns highlight how global figures can mask diverse national trajectories.
Many nations experience ongoing declines in poverty levels
Long-term data reveal notable reductions in multidimensional poverty in several regions. Of 89 countries with trend information, 33 managed to halve their MPI values within 15 years. Six of these are in Sub-Saharan Africa. Eswatini decreased its multidimensional poverty rate from 38.7% to 8.0%. China achieved the fastest reduction among countries with available data, dropping from 9.5% to 4.2% between 2010 and 2014. Viet Nam also cut its MPI in half within seven years.
The 1.2 billion figure differs from global estimates based solely on income-based extreme poverty. Multidimensional poverty captures various disadvantages that can affect individuals simultaneously, such as poor nutrition, inadequate schooling, unsafe sanitation, and limited access to electricity or clean water. This broader measurement offers a more comprehensive view of deprivation than income thresholds alone. The 2026 findings emphasize that children, rural communities, and Sub-Saharan Africa are central to the recent global rise in poverty.