According to the World Bank, nearly 700 million people around the world live on less than $2.15 a day and are considered to be in “extreme poverty.”
The UN General Assembly has designated October 17 as World Poverty Day. Each year, the organization holds events to raise awareness of the issue.
This year’s theme is “Ending social and institutional abuse by respecting and supporting families.”
According to a UN report, poverty levels have risen again since the COVID-19 pandemic and have shown little decline since 2019. Nearly half the world’s population lives below what many countries consider the poverty line.
Nearly 700 million people live in extreme poverty
According to a 2024 World Bank report, about 8.5% of the world’s population lives below the extreme poverty line – that is, almost 700 million people live on less than $2.15 a day.
About 3.5 more billion people earn less than $6.85 a day, which is considered poverty in middle-income countries.
Over the past 25 years, poverty has fallen most in East Asia, the Pacific Rim, and South Asia. By 2030, 7.3% of the world’s population is projected to still be living in extreme poverty, with only about 69 million people expected to escape it.
The world’s poorest countries are mostly in Africa
According to online platform Visual Capitalist, based on an April report from the International Monetary Fund World Economic Prospects 2025, most of the world’s poorest countries in terms of GDP per capita are located in sub-Saharan Africa.
South Sudan, with a GDP per capita of $251, ranks first on the list of the world’s poorest countries. It is followed by Yemen, the only Middle Eastern country in the top ten, with per capita GDP of $417.
Burundi ranks third ($490), followed by the Central African Republic in fourth ($532). This is followed by Malawi (580), Madagascar (595), Sudan (625), Mozambique (663), Democratic Republic of Congo (743) and Niger ($751). These countries constitute the ten poorest countries in the world.
The UN’s work to combat poverty
The UN’s 2030 goal of ending poverty by 2030 emphasizes that eliminating all forms of poverty is a precondition for sustainable development.
Particular attention is paid to the importance of implementing programs and policies aimed at eradicating poverty in all its forms in developing countries, as well as mobilizing the necessary resources.
By 2030, it is planned to create national and regional mechanisms that will ensure equal access of these countries to economic and natural resources, basic services and rights.