A recent United Nations report reveals a staggering truth: over 1.1 billion people worldwide live in acute poverty. India leads this grim statistic with the highest number of impoverished individuals, followed closely by Pakistan.
India Leads in Global Poverty Numbers
According to the UN’s Global Multidimensional Poverty Index 2024 released on Thursday, India has 234 million people living in poverty. This places India, categorized as a medium Human Development Index (HDI) country, at the forefront of global poverty figures.
Pakistan follows with 93 million poor people. Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo also have significant numbers, with 86 million, 74 million, and 66 million respectively.
Together, these five countries account for nearly half—48.1%—of the 1.1 billion poor people worldwide.
Children Disproportionately Affected
The report highlights that approximately 584 million children under 18 are living in extreme poverty. They represent 27.9% of all children globally, compared to 13.5% of adults. This underscores the urgent need for interventions targeting the younger population to break the cycle of poverty.
Poverty Concentrated in Specific Regions
An overwhelming 83.2% of the world’s poorest individuals reside in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Low-income countries, which comprise 10.2% of the population covered, are home to 34.8% of all poor people (400 million).
Additionally, 65.2% of the poor—amounting to 749 million people—live in middle-income countries. This distribution highlights that poverty is not confined to low-income nations alone.
Conflict Zones Worsen Poverty
The report notes that 2023 witnessed more conflicts than any time since World War II, leading to the displacement of over 117 million people. Nearly 40% of the 1.1 billion people living in poverty—approximately 455 million—are in countries experiencing conflict. This includes 218 million individuals in active war zones, 335 million in fragile or conflict-affected areas, and 375 million in contexts characterized by low peace.
Case Study: Gaza
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in an estimated 83% of the total population being internally displaced. The destruction of over 60% of Gaza’s housing stock by the end of 2023 has further aggravated the humanitarian crisis.
About the Multidimensional Poverty Index
Since 2010, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) have released the Multidimensional Poverty Index annually. The index assesses multiple deprivations in health, education, and living standards.
Indicators include inadequate housing, lack of sanitation, electricity, cooking fuel, poor nutrition, and low school attendance.
2024 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report
Conflict Deepens Poverty Across the Globe
The 2024 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report highlights the link between violent conflict and poverty. The report uses data from the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) and other conflict datasets. It shows that poverty is worse in conflict-affected areas. In countries facing long-term conflicts, poverty reduction is either stalled or moving backward.
Key Findings of the Report
This year’s MPI update includes new data from 20 countries. It presents poverty data from 112 countries and 1,359 subnational regions. The results are alarming. Over 1.1 billion people out of 6.3 billion live in acute multidimensional poverty. More than half of these are children.
Common Deprivations
People in multidimensional poverty often lack basic needs. These include adequate housing, sanitation, electricity, cooking fuel, nutrition, and access to education. The report stresses that reaching the last mile to eliminate global poverty is a big challenge. Special focus is needed on those living in violent conflict areas.
Poverty and Conflict Interlinkage
The report underlines that poverty and conflict are deeply connected. Poverty tends to be much higher in regions affected by conflict. In these areas, efforts to reduce poverty face significant setbacks. To truly eliminate global poverty, it is essential to focus on people in conflict-affected regions.
You Learn
The findings of the report call for urgent action from global leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders. Addressing the root causes of poverty, especially in countries like India and Pakistan, is crucial for achieving sustainable development goals.
The significant impact on children emphasizes the need for targeted interventions to secure a better future for the next generation.
(India CSR)
