The United Nations has expressed renewed alarm over worsening levels of poverty and hunger worldwide, cautioning that the global community is unlikely to meet its 2030 target of ending extreme poverty under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In a message posted across its social media channels on Monday, the global body disclosed that about 808 million people — roughly one in every 10 individuals globally — were surviving in extreme poverty in 2025.
The updated estimate follows a revision of the international poverty benchmark, which is now set at living on less than US$3.00 per person per day, adjusted to 2021 purchasing power parity. The adjustment resulted in a higher poverty count than previously projected.
“Eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 is a pivotal aim of the Sustainable Development Goals,” the agency stated.
Although the UN acknowledged that extreme poverty has declined significantly over the past decades, it warned that momentum has weakened considerably in recent years.
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“If current trends continue, 8.9 per cent of the world’s population will still live in extreme poverty by 2030,” the statement added.
Beyond poverty, the organisation described the rebound in global hunger as deeply troubling, noting that hunger levels have returned to figures last recorded in 2005.
It further pointed to sustained increases in food prices across more countries compared to the 2015–2019 period, stressing that the combination of poverty and food insecurity presents a serious global challenge.
According to the UN, poverty is not driven by income deprivation alone but is shaped by multiple factors, including joblessness, social marginalisation and the heightened exposure of vulnerable groups to disasters, illnesses and other disruptions that limit productivity.
The organisation emphasised that the consequences of poverty and inequality extend beyond those directly affected.
“As human beings, our well-being is linked to each other,” it stated, adding that rising inequality hampers economic expansion, weakens social bonds, fuels political and social unrest, and in some instances contributes to instability and conflict.
On social safety nets, the UN underscored the importance of strong protection systems in cushioning shocks and preventing people from slipping into poverty.
Despite the temporary expansion of such programmes during the COVID-19 pandemic, it revealed that 47.6 per cent of the global population — approximately 3.8 billion people — remained without any form of social protection as of 2023, including about 1.4 billion children.
Addressing the global cost-of-living crisis, the statement noted that between February 2022 and February 2023, 105 countries and territories rolled out close to 350 social protection initiatives.
However, most of these measures were short-lived, with 80 per cent classified as temporary interventions. “To achieve the Goals, countries will need to implement nationally appropriate universal and sustainable social protection systems for all,” the agency said.
The UN called for stronger collaboration among governments, businesses and citizens in tackling poverty.
It encouraged citizens to take part in policymaking processes to safeguard their rights and amplify their voices.
Governments, it said, have the responsibility to build environments that foster decent and productive employment opportunities for disadvantaged populations.
The private sector, the statement noted, “has a major role to play in determining whether the growth it creates is inclusive and contributes to poverty reduction,” while advances in science and innovation have already improved access to clean water, reduced deaths linked to water-borne diseases and strengthened hygiene practices.
The UN concluded that sustained and coordinated action across sectors will be essential to lift millions out of deprivation and ensure that no one is left behind by 2030.
