Global poverty index rises for first time since its 2010 creation

WASHINGTON — A UN global poverty index has risen for the first time since its creation in 2010, bringing the number of people affected to 1.2 billion, the United Nations Development Programme reported Monday. In the 2026 edition of their annual report, the UNDP and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative research center counted 51.5 million more people living in "acute" poverty compared to the previous year. UNDP Administrator Alexander De Croo said the increase in poverty should be a "wake-up call for the world." "Behind these figures are 1.2 billion people facing hardships that reinforce one another: hunger, missed schooling and a lack of clean water or electricity. This is unacceptable," he said in a press release. More than half of those in acute poverty were children. However, UNDP said a major factor in the recorded increase was population growth, and new data was only available for 13 of the 108 developing countries covered by the report. While the total number of people in poverty has increased, the report provides a mixed picture. Some 33 nations have halved the perc