Extreme poverty

Some people lack basic needs.

They may lack food or clean water. They may also lack a safe home. This is called extreme poverty.

Long ago, most people lived this way. Now, things are changing. Many people are working to help.

In some places, the number of poor people is going down. This is good news. Many lands are doing better.

Groups like the United Nations want to help. They want to end poverty for everyone.

We can work to make the world better.

Extreme poverty is a very hard way to live.

It means people lack basic needs. They may not have enough food. They may lack clean water or a safe home. They might also lack schools or medicine.

Groups like the United Nations use a special line to measure this. The World Bank says extreme poverty means living on less than $3.00 a day. This helps experts see who needs help. Most people in extreme poverty live in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, Nigeria had the most people in this situation.

There is good news. In the year 1800, most people were very poor. By 2025, that number fell to about 10%. Many people worked hard to make this change. The United Nations set goals to reduce poverty. One goal was to cut poverty in half by 2015. They met that goal early! Now, leaders want to end extreme poverty everywhere by 2030.

Extreme poverty is a very serious condition for people around the world.

The United Nations says it means people lack basic human needs. These needs include enough food and safe drinking water. People may also lack clean toilets, health care, and shelter. They might also lack education and ways to get information. It is not just about money. It is also about whether people can reach important services.

Experts use a special way to measure this problem. The World Bank uses an international poverty line. In 2025, this line was set at $3.00 per day. This number is updated often to match the cost of living. It accounts for the price of food, clothes, and medicine. Since many poor people grow their own food, experts look at consumption. Consumption means the total value of things people use. This helps make the measurement more accurate for farmers.

History shows that the world has changed a lot. In the year 1800, over 80% of people lived in extreme poverty. This was a very large part of the whole world. Since then, that number has dropped significantly. By 2025, the global population in extreme poverty fell to about 10%. This is a huge change over a long time. Many people have worked hard to make these improvements happen.

There are important numbers to track this progress. In the year 2000, 2.23 billion people lived in extreme poverty. By 2025, that number was estimated at 831 million people. This means more than one billion people escaped poverty in 25 years. Most people in extreme poverty live in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, Nigeria had the highest number at 94.7 million people. These facts show how much the world has moved forward.

International leaders have set big goals for the future. The United Nations created the Millennium Development Goals in 2000. One goal was to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015. The world actually met this goal five years early. Now, the Sustainable Development Goals aim to end poverty everywhere. The target for ending extreme poverty is the year 2030. This is a big job for the whole international community.

Extreme poverty is the most severe form of economic hardship. The United Nations (UN) defines it as a condition of severe deprivation. This means people lack basic human needs to live a healthy life. These needs include food, safe drinking water, and sanitation facilities. It also includes access to health care, shelter, and education. Experts note that extreme poverty depends on more than just money. It also depends on whether a person can reach essential services.

To track this issue, the World Bank uses an international poverty line. This line is a specific income level used for comparison. In 2025, the line was set at $3.00 per day. This number is updated regularly to account for inflation. Inflation refers to how prices for goods change over time. The updates reflect the actual cost of food, clothing, and shelter. Because many poor people are subsistence farmers, experts measure consumption. Consumption is the total value of the goods and services a person uses. This method ensures that people who grow their own food are included in the data.

There are different ways to view and measure poverty. The $3.00 per day metric is the most widely used. It measures absolute poverty, which stays constant for comparison. However, some researchers use the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI). The MPI is published by the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative. It looks at more than just income. It measures the intensity of deprivation in many different areas. For example, it can track a lack of electricity or overcrowding. In some places, like the Gaza Strip, poverty is caused by a lack of water and electricity. In other places, like Bhutan, income is the main factor.

History shows that the global situation has changed dramatically. In the year 1800, over 80% of the world lived in extreme poverty. This was the standard condition for most people. Over the centuries, this percentage has fallen significantly. By 2025, the global population in extreme poverty dropped to around 10%. This represents a massive shift in human history.

Specific numbers highlight the scale of recent progress. In the year 2000, approximately 2.23 billion people lived in extreme poverty. By 2025, that number fell to 831 million people. This means more than one billion people escaped extreme poverty in just 25 years. Most people in extreme poverty live in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2018, Nigeria had the highest number of people in extreme poverty at 94.7 million. While the total number is falling, the number in Sub-Saharan Africa rose from 321 million to 598 million between 1990 and 2025.

International organizations have set major targets to help. In 2000, the UN set the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The first goal, MDG1, was to reduce extreme poverty by half by 2015. The world met this target five years early. Now, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have replaced the MDGs. The current goal is to end extreme poverty in all forms everywhere. The international community, including the World Bank, aims to reach this by 2030.

Achieving "global zero" is the ultimate objective. This means having fewer than 3% of the population in extreme poverty. The 3% figure allows for temporary poverty caused by conflict or economic shifts. Some economists predict that 793 million people may still be in poverty if current trends continue. However, others hope for more optimistic scenarios. The path to 2030 depends on how consumption and distribution change in developing nations.