Why is there so much poverty?
Over 8% of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty. Lend your voice to the fight against extreme poverty. Poverty has many dimensions, but its causes include unemployment, social exclusion, and high vulnerability of certain populations to disasters, diseases, and other phenomena that prevent them from being productive.
In response to the cost-of-living crisis, 105 countries and territories announced almost 350 social protection measures between February 2022 and February 2023. Yet 80 percent of these were short-term in nature, and to achieve the Goals, countries will need to implement nationally appropriate universal and sustainable social protection systems for all.
Extreme poverty levels returned to pre-pandemic levels in most countries by 2022, except in low-income countries where recovery has been slower. In 2022, 9% of the world’s population or 712 million people were living in extreme poverty, an increase of 23 million people compared to 2019. If current trends continue, 590 million people, or 6.9% of the world’s population will still live in extreme poverty by 2030.
Priority actions on poverty eradication include:
Everyone can help to make sure that we meet the Global Goals. Use these seven targets to create action to end poverty in all its forms.
Improving access to sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurial opportunities, and productive resources.
Providing universal access to basic social services.
Progressively developing social protection systems to support those who cannot support themselves.
Empowering people living in poverty and their organizations.
Addressing the disproportionate impact of poverty on women.
Working with interested donors and recipients to allocate increased shares of ODA to poverty eradication .
Intensifying international cooperation for poverty eradication.
Major Goals
By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere, currently measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day.
By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions.
Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all, including floors, and by 2030 achieve substantial coverage of the poor and the vulnerable.
By 2030, ensure that all men and women, in particular the poor and the vulnerable, have equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to basic services, ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, natural resources, appropriate new technology and financial services, including microfinance.
By 2030, build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters.
Ensure significant mobilization of resources from a variety of sources, including through enhanced development cooperation, in order to provide adequate and predictable means for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, to implement programs and policies to end poverty in all its dimensions.
Progress on Ending Poverty by 2030
In 2022, 9% of the world's population or 712 million people were living in extreme poverty, an increase of 23 million people compared to 2019. If current trends continue, 590 million people, or 6.9% of the world’s population will still live in extreme poverty by 2030.
In 2023, only 28.2% of child globally received child cash benefits, compared to 22.1% in 2015, leaving 1.4 billion children aged 0-15 without coverage. To guarantee at least a basic level of social protection for all children, upper- and lower-middle-income countries would need to invest an additional US$98.1 billion and US$88.8 billion, respectively, while low-income countries would require an additional US$59.6 billion.