Escaping extreme poverty is not the same as reaching financial security.
For 2026, the World Bank projects 811 million people below $3 and about 3.7 billion below $8.30.
World Bank regional classification, 2024.
With extreme poverty now low in many of those economies, further gains depend increasingly on countries held back by weak growth, too few productive jobs, conflict and fragility.
A separate May 2026 World Bank analysis found that, over the preceding decade, extreme poverty rose in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Pakistan and Sudan.
Imagine everyone on Earth as 100 people. Switch the poverty line to see how many fall below it.
About 2.9 billion people, or 36 in every 100 worldwide, lived above $3 but below $8.30 a day in 2024. Escaping extreme poverty is not the same as reaching financial security.
For 2026, the World Bank projects 811 million people below $3 and about 3.7 billion below $8.30.
World Bank regional classification, 2024. Pakistan and Afghanistan were moved from South Asia to the Middle East and North Africa grouping in July 2025.
Why is global progress slowing?
Rapid growth in Asia drove much of the earlier fall. With extreme poverty now low in many of those economies, further gains depend increasingly on countries held back by weak growth, too few productive jobs, conflict and fragility.
The World Bank’s October 2026 report says nine economies account for more than half of the world’s extremely poor. By 2030, it projects that 87% will live in Sub-Saharan Africa, in fragile or conflict-affected countries, or both.
A separate May 2026 World Bank analysis found that, over the preceding decade, extreme poverty rose in Nigeria, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Pakistan and Sudan. It fell modestly in DR Congo and Tanzania, and sharply in India.
