The United Nations has warned that if current global trends continue, about 8.9 per cent of the world’s population may still be living in extreme poverty by 2030, missing the target to eradicate severe deprivation set under the Sustainable Development Goals.
Eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 is a central objective of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The goal defines extreme poverty as living on less than US $3.00 per day at 2021 purchasing power parity, an updated international poverty line used for global monitoring.
The Sustainable Development Goals were adopted by UN member states to end poverty, improve food security, advance health and education, and reduce inequalities worldwide by 2030.
In a statement shared on its social media platforms on Monday, the United Nations said its assessment shows that 808 million people were living in extreme poverty in 2025, representing about one in ten people globally.
The UN noted that the figure represents an increase from earlier estimates after an update to the international poverty line, which now sets the extreme poverty threshold at surviving on less than US $3.00 per day.
The agency said progress in reducing extreme poverty has slowed significantly in recent years despite notable declines over past decades.
The statement added that if current trends continue, about 8.9 per cent of the world’s population will still live in extreme poverty by 2030.
The United Nations also pointed to a resurgence in global hunger levels, noting that hunger has increased to levels last seen in 2005, and highlighted rising food prices in many countries as a contributing factor to the dual challenges of poverty and food insecurity.
The UN warning underscores that progress toward the goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 remains off track.
Continued monitoring, policy actions, and international cooperation will be needed to address underlying factors that contribute to persistent poverty and food insecurity globally.
