The United Nations has warned that the world is falling behind in the fight against extreme poverty, with 826 million people still living on less than $3 a day and the global target to end severe deprivation increasingly unlikely to be met by 2030.
The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2026 estimates that one in every 10 people worldwide remains in extreme poverty, exposing the slow pace of progress since countries adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015. With less than four years remaining before the deadline, the report raises concerns about whether governments can meet their commitment to end extreme poverty.
The report's assessment of Goal 1, which focuses on ending poverty in all its forms, puts the global extreme poverty rate at 10 per cent in 2026. This represents a decline of only three percentage points from the level recorded in 2015, when countries agreed to work towards achieving the 17 global development goals.
At the current pace, about nine per cent of the world's population could still be living in extreme poverty by 2030, leaving the international community far from achieving its target.
The report identifies sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and North Africa, and Oceania, excluding Australia and New Zealand, as regions facing a serious risk of failing to eliminate extreme poverty within the agreed period.
Sub-Saharan Africa carries the heaviest burden, accounting for 71 per cent of people living in extreme poverty worldwide. The region's poverty rate rose by two percentage points during the COVID-19 pandemic and did not return to its pre-pandemic level until 2025.
The UN warns that global figures conceal deep differences between regions, with poverty becoming more concentrated in communities affected by armed conflict, economic instability and climate-related shocks. These challenges continue to make it harder for vulnerable populations to improve their living conditions.
The report also draws attention to the number of people who remain poor despite having jobs, showing that employment alone does not always provide enough income to escape extreme poverty.
In 2025, about 284 million employed people worldwide, equivalent to 7.9 per cent of the global workforce, were living in extreme poverty. Although this was an improvement from the 11 per cent recorded in 2015, the figures show that millions of workers continue to struggle to meet their basic needs.
The situation is particularly difficult in sub-Saharan Africa and the world's least developed countries, where approximately 40 per cent of employed people remain in working poverty.
Young workers are also more exposed to the problem than their older counterparts. According to the report, people aged between 15 and 24 are more than twice as likely as adults to experience working poverty, pointing to the difficulties young people face in securing livelihoods that can lift them out of deprivation.
Social protection is another area where the UN says further action is needed to reach people at risk of poverty.
The share of the world's population receiving at least one social protection benefit increased from 42.8 per cent in 2015 to 52.4 per cent in 2023. Despite this improvement, about 3.8 billion people still had no access to any form of social protection.
The figures reveal wide gaps in support for different groups, particularly the unemployed, children, new mothers and people living with severe disabilities.
While 79.6 per cent of people above retirement age received old-age pensions, only 16.7 per cent of unemployed people were covered by unemployment protection.
Children also faced limited access to support, with just 28.2 per cent receiving family benefits. Among mothers with newborns, only 36.4 per cent received maternity benefits, while 38.9 per cent of people with severe disabilities received disability benefits.
The report's findings point to the need for wider social protection coverage to ensure that people facing financial hardship can access support, especially during periods of unemployment, illness, disability or other difficulties.
The UN has also raised concerns about falling international development assistance, warning that reduced funding could weaken efforts to tackle poverty and improve access to essential services.
Official development assistance grants directed towards poverty reduction declined by 8.7 per cent between 2023 and 2024, falling to $19.1 billion. The amount returned to levels last recorded in 2015, raising concerns about the resources available to support communities facing the greatest challenges.
The reduction affected funding for basic healthcare, food assistance and education, areas that play an important role in improving living standards and helping vulnerable households escape poverty.
The findings come as the United Nations reviews progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which countries adopted in 2015 to address major global challenges, including poverty, hunger, healthcare, education, inequality and environmental sustainability.
Although the goals have helped expand access to essential services, the 2026 report warns that several growing challenges are threatening further progress.
These include escalating conflicts, slower economic growth, climate change, rising debt burdens and declining development assistance. Together, these pressures risk making it more difficult for countries to finance development programmes and protect people already struggling with poverty.
The UN is calling for focused investment in communities where poverty remains widespread, stronger social protection systems and more inclusive economic opportunities that allow people to earn enough to support themselves and their families.
The report also stresses the importance of renewed international cooperation and sustained investment to speed up progress before the 2030 deadline.
With hundreds of millions of people still living on less than $3 a day, the findings show that the global effort to eradicate extreme poverty faces major challenges, despite progress in some areas. The UN warns that without faster action, many vulnerable communities could remain trapped in poverty long after countries were expected to achieve their shared development targets.