Tunis:United Nations Development Programme Administrator Alexander De Croo has stated that the number of people living in 'multidimensional' poverty has increased for the first time in 15 years, reaching 1.2 billion. This rise comes as families continue to struggle to meet basic needs across health, education, and living standards.

According to Emirates News Agency, the 2026 update of the Multidimensional Poverty Index, published by the United Nations Development Programme and Oxford University, shows a significant increase of 51.5 million people living in poverty compared to the 2025 update. Notably, more than half of these individuals are children, and 83% reside in rural areas.

The report covers data from 108 countries, representing approximately 78% of the global population. It attributes the increase in poverty partly to population growth that has outpaced efforts to improve living standards. In 95 countries without new survey data, updated population estimates alone accounted for an additional 16 million people being classified as poor. The remaining increase is attributed to 13 countries with newly gathered data, reflecting real changes in poverty levels, demographic shifts, and differences in indicator coverage.