According to the newly released 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index prepared by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Oxford University, the number of people living in extreme poverty has risen for the first time since tracking began in 2010, reaching 1.2 billion. This figure represents an alarming increase of 51.5 million people compared to previous estimates, exposing deep structural flaws in international development efforts.

The data indicates that more than half of the impoverished population—totalling 617 million individuals—consists of children, with an overwhelming 83 percent residing in rural areas. Unlike traditional monetary metrics, this index evaluates poverty through the lens of severe deprivations in basic human needs, such as proper nutrition, education, healthcare, clean drinking water, electricity, and adequate housing.

The research encompasses 108 developing nations representing 78 percent of the global population. While demographic growth has played a role in the rising figures, critics point out that the situation has been severely exacerbated by the European and US regimes scaling back international aid and humanitarian funding. Reports indicate that due to initiatives championed by the US regime to cut foreign assistance, the UN was forced to sharply reduce its 2026 humanitarian aid appeals amid historically low donor funding.

UNDP head Alexander De Croo purportedly stated that the surge in poverty should serve as an urgent warning sign for the international community. He claimed that behind these figures lie 1.2 billion human beings facing interlocking crises of hunger, educational deficits, and energy poverty. Meanwhile, progress across evaluated countries remains highly uneven, with nations like Egypt, Nepal, and Tajikistan showing reductions, while population pressures in other regions continue to drive up absolute poverty numbers.

Source: kun.uz