Goal 1: No Poverty

Eradicating extreme poverty for all people, everywhere, by 2030 is a pivotal aim of the Sustainable Development Goals. Extreme poverty—defined as surviving on less than $3.00 per person per day at 2021 purchasing power parity—has declined remarkably over recent decades.

However, in 2026, 826 million people (or 1 in 10 people worldwide) were living in extreme poverty. This represents an upward revision from earlier estimates due to an updated poverty line. If current trends continue, 9% of the world’s population will still live in extreme poverty by 2030.

At the same time, we are seeing a shocking resurgence of hunger back to levels last observed in 2005. Equally concerning is the persistent rise in food prices across more countries today than between 2015 and 2019. This dual crisis of poverty and food insecurity remains a critical global concern.

Why is there so much poverty

Poverty has many dimensions. Its primary causes include unemployment, social exclusion, and the high vulnerability of certain populations to disasters, disease, and other crises that prevent them from earning a productive living.

Why should I care about other people’s economic situation?

There are many reasons, but the simplest is that as human beings, our well-being is deeply interconnected. Growing inequality hurts economic growth and undermines social cohesion. This raises political and social tensions and, in some circumstances, drives instability and conflict.

Why is social protection so important?

Strong social protection systems are essential to cushion the blow of economic shocks and prevent vulnerable families from falling into poverty.

While social protection measures did expand during the COVID-19 crisis, approximately 46% of the world’s population—about 3.8 billion people, including 1.4 billion children—remained entirely unprotected in 2023.

In response to the subsequent cost-of-living crisis, 105 countries and territories announced nearly 350 social protection measures between February 2022 and February 2023. However, 80% of these programs were only short-term. To truly achieve the SDGs, nations must build permanent, universal, and sustainable social protection systems for all.

The contribution of science to end poverty has been significant. For example, it has enabled access to safe drinking water, reduced deaths caused by water-borne diseases, and improved hygiene to reduce health risks related to unsafe drinking water and lack of sanitation.