The number of people living in acute multidimensional poverty worldwide has reached approximately 1.2 billion, marking the first increase recorded by the global index since its introduction in 2010, according to a new report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).
The 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, released on Monday, October 12, found that 1.198 billion people across 108 developing countries experience overlapping disadvantages affecting their health, education and living conditions.
The latest estimate represents an increase of 51.5 million people compared with the previous update on a comparable basis, raising fresh concerns about the global effort to reduce poverty and achieve the United Nations' development targets.
UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo described the findings as a wake-up call, highlighting how hunger, missed educational opportunities and limited access to clean water and electricity continue to affect billions of people.
According to the report, multidimensional poverty goes beyond a lack of money by examining whether people have access to essential services and the basic conditions required for a decent standard of living.
The index considers ten indicators covering nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling, school attendance, cooking fuel, sanitation, drinking water, electricity, housing and household assets.
People are classified as multidimensionally poor when the combined disadvantages experienced by their households reach at least one-third of the weighted indicators used in the assessment.
The report found that children account for 617 million of those living in multidimensional poverty, representing 51.5 per cent of the global total.
This means that more than half of the people affected are under the age of 18, highlighting the scale of challenges facing children who grow up without adequate access to education, healthcare, nutritious food and essential household services.
Rural communities also carry a disproportionate share of the burden, accounting for approximately 83 per cent of people experiencing multidimensional poverty worldwide.
The findings indicate that poverty is closely associated with gaps in basic infrastructure and services, particularly in communities where access to electricity, clean cooking facilities, sanitation and educational opportunities remains limited.
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded the largest regional burden, with approximately 616 million people living in multidimensional poverty, equivalent to 51.4 per cent of the region's population covered by the index.
South Asia also remains a major centre of global poverty, with large populations experiencing overlapping disadvantages despite progress in some countries.
However, the report cautioned against interpreting the increase in the global poverty headcount as proof that 51.5 million people became newly impoverished within a single year.
Population growth contributed significantly to the increase, while changes in survey coverage and the availability of updated household data also influenced the latest estimates.
For 95 countries without new household survey results in the 2026 update, revised population estimates alone added approximately 15.8 million people to the number counted as poor.
New survey data were available for only 13 of the 108 countries included in the report, limiting the extent to which the latest figures can capture recent changes in living conditions across the entire group.
Despite the concerning global total, the report also highlighted evidence that sustained policies and targeted development programmes can significantly reduce poverty.
Thirty-three of the 89 countries with comparable historical data have cut their Multidimensional Poverty Index value by at least half in fewer than 15 years.
Six of those countries are in sub-Saharan Africa, demonstrating that progress remains possible even in regions facing substantial development challenges.
Egypt, Nepal and Tajikistan recorded significant reductions in both the proportion and number of people experiencing multidimensional poverty, while China and Vietnam were identified among countries that have achieved rapid progress over longer periods.
The findings suggest that improvements in essential services, education, healthcare and living conditions can make a measurable difference when countries sustain effective development efforts.
For governments, the report underscores the importance of policies that address several sources of deprivation simultaneously rather than concentrating exclusively on income growth.
Expanding access to electricity, clean cooking fuel, quality education, adequate housing and healthcare could help communities overcome disadvantages that often reinforce one another across generations.
The report also highlights the need for reliable household data to help policymakers identify vulnerable populations, measure progress and direct resources towards communities facing the greatest challenges.
With the United Nations targeting major reductions in poverty by 2030, the latest figures underline the scale of the work still required to ensure that economic development translates into better living conditions.
Although the global increase represents a setback, the progress recorded in several countries offers evidence that coordinated action can still reduce multidimensional poverty and improve the lives of millions.