World Poverty Statistics Infographic

According to the World Bank, the global extreme poverty is expected to rise in 2020 for the first time in more than 20 years, as the devastation of the COVID-19 epidemic intensifies the forces of conflict and climate change, which are already slowing the process of poverty reduction.

Some Key Facts:

• The global extreme poverty rate fell to 9.2 percent in 2017, from 10.1 percent in 2015. That is equivalent to 689 million people living on less than $1.90 a day.  

• At higher poverty lines, 24.1 percent of the world lived on less than $3.20 a day and 43.6 percent on less than $5.50 a day in 2017. 

• Half of the poor are children. Women represent a majority of the poor in most regions and among some age groups. 

• About 70 percent of the global poor aged 15 and over have no schooling or only some basic education.

• About 132 million of the global poor live in areas with high flood risk.

• COVID-19 pandemic, projects that an additional 88 million to 115 million people will be pushed into extreme poverty, bringing the total to between 703 and 729 million.

• Almost half of poor people in Sub-Saharan Africa live in just five countries: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Madagascar.

• New research estimates that climate change will drive 68 million to 132 million into poverty by 2030.