SDG 1: No Poverty

End poverty in all its forms everywhere.

The number of people living in extreme poverty around the world went down from 36% in 1990 to 10% in 2015. But the rate of change is slowing down, and the COVID-19 crisis could make decades of progress against poverty go backwards. New research from the UNU World Institute for Development Economics Research warns that the economic effects of a global pandemic could put as many as 500 million more people, or 8% of the world’s population, into poverty. This would be the first time since 1990 that the number of poor people around the world has grown.

More than 700 million people, or 10% of the world’s population, still live in extreme poverty today. These people struggle to meet even the most basic needs, such as health care, education, and clean water and toilets. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to most of the people who live on less than $1.90 a day. The rate of poverty in rural areas is 17.2%, which is more than three times higher than the rate of poverty in cities.

Even if someone has a job, that doesn’t mean they can make a good living. In 2018, 8% of workers with jobs and their families lived in extreme poverty around the world. One out of every five kids lives in a very poor situation. To reduce poverty, it is important to make sure that all children and other vulnerable groups have social protection.