The United Nations has sounded a fresh alarm over rising global poverty and hunger, warning that the world is veering off course in its bid to eradicate extreme poverty by 2030 — a core target of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In a statement released Monday, the UN disclosed that 808 million people — roughly one in every 10 globally — were living in extreme poverty in 2025. The figure reflects an upward revision following an update to the international poverty line, now set at less than $3.00 per person per day at 2021 purchasing power parity.
“Eradicating extreme poverty for all people everywhere by 2030 is a pivotal aim of the Sustainable Development Goals,” the organisation said.
While acknowledging significant reductions in extreme poverty over the past decades, the UN warned that progress has stalled in recent years. If current trends persist, an estimated 8.9 per cent of the global population will still be trapped in extreme poverty by 2030.
The global body also described as “shocking” the resurgence of hunger levels to figures last recorded in 2005, noting that rising food prices are affecting more countries now than during the 2015–2019 period.
The twin crises of poverty and food insecurity, it said, pose a growing threat to global stability.
The UN stressed that poverty is multidimensional, driven not only by lack of income but also by unemployment, social exclusion, and heightened vulnerability to disasters, diseases and economic shocks.
It warned that inequality harms societies at large, undermining economic growth, weakening social cohesion, fuelling political and social tensions, and in some cases triggering instability and conflict.
“As human beings, our well-being is linked to each other,” the statement noted.
On social safety nets, the UN said strong protection systems are critical in preventing people from falling into poverty during crises.
Despite temporary expansions during the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly half the world’s population — 47.6 per cent or about 3.8 billion people — remain without any social protection coverage as of 2023. This includes an estimated 1.4 billion children.
Between February 2022 and February 2023, 105 countries and territories rolled out nearly 350 social protection measures in response to the global cost-of-living crisis. However, 80 per cent of these interventions were short-term.
“To achieve the Goals, countries will need to implement nationally appropriate universal and sustainable social protection systems for all,” the UN said.
The organisation urged governments, the private sector and citizens to intensify efforts to tackle poverty.
Governments were encouraged to create enabling environments that generate productive employment, especially for marginalised populations. The private sector, the UN said, must ensure that economic growth is inclusive and contributes meaningfully to poverty reduction.
It also highlighted the transformative role of science and innovation in improving access to safe drinking water, reducing deaths from water-borne diseases and strengthening hygiene standards.
The UN maintained that coordinated, sustained action across sectors is vital to lifting millions out of poverty and ensuring that no one is left behind by 2030.
