The number of people living in multidimensional poverty worldwide has hit 1.2 billion, or 51.5 million more than in the previous update.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said in its 2026 update of the global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) that people living in poverty has risen for the first time since the index was launched in 2010, an Emirates News Agency (WAM) report said.

Wake-up call

UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said: “The rise in poverty should be a wake-up call for the world,” noting that millions of people face hunger, missed schooling and a lack of clean water or electricity, while children account for more than half of those affected.

The UNDP said population growth contributed to the increase in the number of people living in multidimensional poverty, noting that among the 89 countries with MPI trend data, 33 have halved their MPI value in fewer than 15 years, including six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.—TradeArabia News Service