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808 million people lived in extreme poverty in 2025, says United Nations.
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8.9% of global population may still face extreme poverty by 2030.
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Rising hunger, inequality and weak social protection threaten SDGs target.
The United Nations has warned that the world is off track to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030, raising concerns over worsening hunger and inequality.
In a statement released Monday, the UN disclosed that about 808 million people — roughly one in 10 globally — were living in extreme poverty in 2025. The figure reflects an updated international poverty benchmark of less than $3.00 per person per day at 2021 purchasing power parity.
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According to the global body, if current trends persist, 8.9 per cent of the world’s population will still be trapped in extreme poverty by 2030, undermining a core target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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While acknowledging significant progress in poverty reduction over previous decades, the UN noted that advancement has slowed sharply in recent years. It described the resurgence of global hunger to levels last seen in 2005 as alarming, adding that food prices remain elevated across many countries compared to the 2015–2019 period.
The organisation explained that poverty remains multidimensional, driven by unemployment, social exclusion, and vulnerability to disasters, disease outbreaks, and economic shocks.
It further warned that inequality weakens economic growth, fuels political and social tensions, and in some cases contributes to instability and conflict.
On social protection, the UN said that despite expansions during the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 47.6 per cent of the global population — about 3.8 billion people — remain without any form of social safety net, including 1.4 billion children.
Although 105 countries introduced nearly 350 social protection measures between February 2022 and February 2023 to address the cost-of-living crisis, the UN observed that 80 per cent of the interventions were temporary.
The organisation urged governments to implement sustainable and nationally appropriate universal social protection systems, while calling on the private sector and citizens to play active roles in fostering inclusive growth and poverty reduction.
It maintained that coordinated global action remains critical to lifting millions out of poverty and ensuring no one is left behind by 2030.