In 2025, nearly 11.7 percent of the world population in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars a day, lived in Nigeria. Moreover, the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounted for around 11.7 percent of the global population in extreme poverty. Other African nations with a large poor population were Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar. Poverty levels remain high despite the forecast decline Poverty is a widespread issue across Africa. Around 429 million people on the continent were living below the extreme poverty line of 2.15 U.S. dollars a day in 2024. Since the continent had approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants, roughly a third of Africa’s population was in extreme poverty that year. Mozambique, Malawi, Central African Republic, and Niger had Africa’s highest extreme poverty rates based on the 2.15 U.S. dollars per day extreme poverty indicator (updated from 1.90 U.S. dollars in September 2022). Although the levels of poverty on the continent are forecast to decrease in the coming years, Africa will remain the poorest region compared to the rest of the world. Prevalence of poverty and malnutrition across Africa Multiple factors are linked to increased poverty. Regions with critical situations of employment, education, health, nutrition, war, and conflict usually have larger poor populations. Consequently, poverty tends to be more prevalent in least-developed and developing countries worldwide. For similar reasons, rural households also face higher poverty levels. In 2024, the extreme poverty rate in Africa stood at around 45 percent among the rural population, compared to seven percent in urban areas. Together with poverty, malnutrition is also widespread in Africa. Limited access to food leads to low health conditions, increasing the poverty risk. At the same time, poverty can determine inadequate nutrition. Almost 38.3 percent of the global undernourished population lived in Africa in 2022.

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.

In 2023, **** percent of Black people living in the United States were living below the poverty line, compared to *** percent of white people. That year, the total poverty rate in the U.S. across all races and ethnicities was **** percent. Poverty in the United States Single people in the United States making less than ****** U.S. dollars a year and families of four making less than ****** U.S. dollars a year are considered to be below the poverty line. Women and children are more likely to suffer from poverty, due to women staying home more often than men to take care of children, and women suffering from the gender wage gap. Not only are women and children more likely to be affected, racial minorities are as well due to the discrimination they face. Poverty data Despite being one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States had the third highest poverty rate out of all OECD countries in 2019. However, the United States' poverty rate has been fluctuating since 1990, but has been decreasing since 2014. The average median household income in the U.S. has remained somewhat consistent since 1990, but has recently increased since 2014 until a slight decrease in 2020, potentially due to the pandemic. The state that had the highest number of people living below the poverty line in 2020 was California.

Indonesia has experienced strong economic growth over the last forty years. At the same time, the proportion of Indonesians living below the poverty line has fallen dramatically. Nonetheless, around 12 percent of Indonesians remain in poverty and another 30 percent remain highly vulnerable to falling into poverty in any given year. In addition, Indonesia has experienced a number of crises in the last two decades, and such shocks are likely to continue in the future in an increasingly integrated global economy. Over the last fifteen years the Government has been developing social assistance programs designed to promote the poor out of poverty and protect poor and vulnerable households from both individual and more widespread shocks. The coverage, design and implementation of these programs continue to be improved as social protection in Indonesia matures, but a number of issues remain. One of the most important, and difficult, is how these programs can accurately target households who need those most. The challenge is to develop a targeting approach which includes most of the poor and vulnerable while minimizing leakage to the rich. At the same time, the system must be feasible, affordable, and accepted and used by all. Furthermore, identifying which households are poor is a difficult task in any developing country, but is particularly so in Indonesia, which has a very large population, a high degree of geographic dispersion, decentralization of much budgetary and operational governance, and frequent entry and exit of households into and from poverty. This evidence-based report builds in part on innovative research done collaboratively with the Government of Indonesia. In this respect Indonesia is contributing to the frontier of global knowledge on targeting, while also drawing on the experience of other countries. Moving from a thorough assessment of the current effectiveness of targeting in Indonesia, the report contains practical and detailed recommendations for the future. In particular, a National Targeting System is proposed, which envisages developing a single registry of potential beneficiaries to target social assistance to the right households, resulting in more accurate and cost-effective targeting outcomes, and ultimately stronger program impacts.

The survey charted Finnish opinions on and knowledge of the country's development cooperation, its importance, content, objectives, and allocation. Some questions focused on the UN Millennium Development Goals. The respondents were asked whether they considered development cooperation important, and why. Views on the effectiveness of development cooperation were charted as well as its greatest challenges. Familiarity with the UN Millennium Development Goals and views on the most important goals were surveyed. Factual questions relating to the Millennium Development Goals surveyed the respondents' perceptions on, for instance, whether the number of people living in absolute poverty had increased or decreased since 1990, how many children in all developing countries were able to start school, and the percentage of people with access to clean water. Opinions on the most important goals, activities (e.g. education, health care, industry), and key geographical areas for Finnish development cooperation were charted. Factual knowledge was further charted by asking how much the respondents thought Finland was going to spend on development cooperation in 2013 (as percentage of the GNI and in euros). Opinions were probed on how much Finland should spend on development cooperation in 2015 (as percentage of the GNI). The respondents were also asked whether Finland should increase the amount of funding allocated to development cooperation in light of the current economic situation. Those who thought funding should be increased were asked how the increase should be financed (e.g. by cutting other state expenditure or by increasing tax revenue). Some questions pertained to whether there was enough information available on development cooperation, development policy and developing countries, from which information sources the respondents had received information on these topics and from which of them they would like to receive more, whether more information should be available on some topics, and how reliable public authorities, voluntary/civic organisations and the media were as sources of such information. Views were surveyed on what the four most important forms of development cooperation are (e.g. bilateral, multilateral, cooperation through the EU) as well as how the respondents as individuals could best help developing countries. The respondents were presented some statements charting their opinions on the impact of development aid in general (for instance, "Finland should help developing countries adapt to the consequences of climate change"). Finally, opinions on the importance of humanitarian aid were investigated. Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, economic activity and occupational status, marital status, economic activity and occupational status of the household head, household composition, age of children living at home, education, gross annual income of the household, newspaper reading and television viewing habits, type of accommodation, municipality size and type, major region (NUTS2) and region (NUTS3) of residence, ownership of car, home, holiday home, consumer durables and mobile phone, and Internet use.

United States US: Income Share Held by Third 20% data was reported at 15.300 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.400 % for 2013. United States US: Income Share Held by Third 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 15.700 % from Dec 1979 (Median) to 2016, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.900 % in 1979 and a record low of 15.300 % in 2016. United States US: Income Share Held by Third 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Jordan JO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data was reported at 15.800 % in 2010. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16.100 % for 2008. Jordan JO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 15.700 % from Dec 1986 (Median) to 2010, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.100 % in 2008 and a record low of 14.000 % in 1992. Jordan JO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Jordan – Table JO.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

The survey charted Finnish opinions on and knowledge of the country's development cooperation, its importance, content, objectives, and allocation. Some questions focused on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030). The data were collected as part of Taloustutkimus's national CAPI Omnibus study. The respondents were asked to name things that they believed were achieved by development aid, how important they regarded development cooperation to be, and to what extent they agreed with a number of statements relating to development cooperation (e.g. "With the help of development cooperation millions of people have access to a better standard of living"). Familiarity with the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (Agenda 2030) was surveyed as well as views on the most important Sustainable Development Goals. Views were charted on the significance of development cooperation in alleviating poverty and improving the lives of people in developing countries. Knowledge of the refugee crisis was studied by asking if the respondents knew which country had the most refugees per capita, and what proportion of refugees were living in other developing countries. Views were studied on whether development cooperation could prevent refugee crisis from happening by helping people in their own country, and how the respondents' believed this could be achieved (e.g. military intervention, humanitarian aid). With regard to development cooperation by Finland, opinions were studied on the importance of Finnish humanitarian aid, significance of Finland's achievements in development policy, the most important forms of development cooperation for Finland (e.g. bilateral, multilateral, cooperation through the EU). The respondents' factual knowledge was charted by asking how much the respondents thought Finland was going to spend on development cooperation in 2016 (as percentage of the GNI and in euros). The respondents were asked whether Finland should increase or decrease the amount of funding allocated to development cooperation in light of the current economic situation. Some questions pertained to whether there was enough information available on development cooperation and developing countries, from which information sources the respondents had received information on these topics, and how reliable public authorities, voluntary/civic organisations and the media were as sources of such information. The respondents were also asked how they thought they could help the developing countries as individuals and how they had participated in helping the developing countries or people in those countries in the past year. Finally, the respondents were presented with two questions measuring their knowledge on development aid received by Finland in the past, and Finland's history as a developing country. Background variables included, among others, the respondent's age, gender, economic activity and occupational status, education, and marital status as well as economic activity/occupational status and education of the household head, household composition, ages of children living at home, gross annual income of the household, municipality size and type, major region (NUTS2) and region (NUTS3) of residence, type of accommodation, and Internet use.

Dominican Republic DO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data was reported at 13.900 % in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 13.900 % for 2015. Dominican Republic DO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 13.050 % from Dec 1986 (Median) to 2016, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.000 % in 2014 and a record low of 12.100 % in 2006. Dominican Republic DO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Dominican Republic – Table DO.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Norway NO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data was reported at 17.700 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.900 % for 2014. Norway NO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 17.900 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2015, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18.200 % in 2011 and a record low of 16.400 % in 2004. Norway NO: Income Share Held by Third 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Mali ML: Income Share Held by Third 20% data was reported at 16.200 % in 2009. This records an increase from the previous number of 14.900 % for 2006. Mali ML: Income Share Held by Third 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 14.800 % from Dec 1994 (Median) to 2009, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.200 % in 2009 and a record low of 11.900 % in 1994. Mali ML: Income Share Held by Third 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Mali – Table ML.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger globally and by region and country. Calculated each year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the GHI highlights successes and failures in hunger reduction and provide insights into the drivers of hunger, and food and nutrition security. The 2014 GHI has been calculated for 120 countries for which data on the three component indicators are available and for which measuring hung er is considered most relevant. The GHI calculation excludes some higher income countries because the prevalence of hunger there is very low. The GHI is only as current as the data for its three component indicators. This year's GHI reflects the most recent available country level data for the three component indicators spanning the period 2009 to 2013. Besides the most recent GHI scores, this dataset also contains the GHI scores for four other reference periods- 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005. A country's GHI score is calculated by averaging the percentage of the population that is undernourished, the percentage of children youn ger than five years old who are underweight, and the percentage of children dying before the age of five. This calculation results in a 100 point scale on which zero is the best score (no hunger) and 100 the worst, although neither of these extremes is reached in practice. The three component indicators used to calculate the GHI scores draw upon data from the following sources: 1. Undernourishment: Updated data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) were used for the 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2014GHI scores. Undernourishment data for the 2014 GHI are for 2011-2013. 2. Child underweight: The "child underweight" component indicator of the GHI scores includes the latest additions to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition, and additional data from the joint data base by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), WHO and the World Bank; the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey reports; and statistical tables from UNICEF. For the 2014 GHI, data on child underweight are for the latest year for which data are available in the period 2009-2014. 3. Child mortality: Updated data from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation were used for the 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005, and 2014 GHI scores. For the 2014 GHI, data on child mortality are for 2012. Resources related to 2014 Global Hunger Index

Laos LA: Income Share Held by Third 20% data was reported at 15.300 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.400 % for 2007. Laos LA: Income Share Held by Third 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 15.500 % from Dec 1992 (Median) to 2012, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.100 % in 2002 and a record low of 15.300 % in 2012. Laos LA: Income Share Held by Third 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Laos – Table LA.World Bank: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Niger NE: Income Share Held by Third 20% data was reported at 16.000 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16.200 % for 2011. Niger NE: Income Share Held by Third 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 15.250 % from Dec 1992 (Median) to 2014, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.200 % in 2011 and a record low of 13.700 % in 2005. Niger NE: Income Share Held by Third 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Niger – Table NE.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

As of 2024, around **** million people in South Africa are living in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at **** U.S. dollars daily. This means that ******* more people were pushed into poverty compared to 2023. Moreover, the headcount was forecast to increase in the coming years. By 2030, over **** million South Africans will live on a maximum of **** U.S. dollars per day. Who is considered poor domestically? Poverty is measured using several matrices. For example, local authorities tend to rely on the national poverty line, assessed based on consumer price indices (CPI) of a basket of goods of food and non-food components. In 2023, the domestic poverty line in South Africa stood at ***** South African rand per month (around ***** U.S. dollars per month). According to a survey, social inequality and poverty worried a significant share of the South African respondents. As of September 2024, some ** percent of the respondents reported that they were worried about the state of poverty and unequal income distribution in the country.   Eastern Cape residents received more grants South Africa’s labor market has struggled to absorb the country’s population. In 2023, almost a third of the economically active population was unemployed. Local authorities employ relief assistance and social grants in an attempt to reduce poverty and assist poor individuals. In 2023, almost ** percent of South African households received state support, with the majority share benefiting in the Eastern Cape.

Background In a population-based epidemiological study in Ngaoundere, Cameroon, we studied cross-sectional child morbidity and the cost of necessary investigation and treatment. Methods Three teams of two to three health workers visited haphazardly selected households in all major housing quarters. We asked permission to enter for a health survey. Children with cough, fever or weight loss as well as sick adults were offered free-of-charge local hospital examination and treatment. Results From 177 households with 1777 persons, 51 (2.9%) persons were referred. Thirty-five of them had an undiagnosed disease threatening individual health and in many cases also public health. Seven were hospitalised, including three adults with tuberculosis. Malnutrition was diagnosed in nine small children. Four patients had AIDS, seven had malaria. Average total cost for ambulant patients was 15 USD, for hospitalised patients 110 USD. In the households, almost half of the women 16–50 years of age had no schooling. Two per cent of women and nine per cent of men were daily smokers. Coughing children were more likely than non-coughing children to live in a household with at least one smoker (OR = 3.58, 95% CI 1.72 to 7.46), and they generally lived in more poor households (P = 0.018). Twelve of 16 children with weight loss were referred from households with a high poverty score. Conclusions Adult smoking and poverty affect children's health. The cost of hospitalisation or long-lasting therapy is beyond the means of most ordinary families. Diseases with severe consequences for public health, like tuberculosis, AIDS and malaria should have national programs with free, decentralised examination and treatment. Access to generic drugs is important. A major educational effort is needed to improve public health.

Inflation was the most worrying topic worldwide as of May 2025, with ********* of the respondents choosing that option. Crime and violence, as well as poverty and social inequality, followed behind. Moreover, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war in Gaza, *** percent of the respondents were worried about military conflict between nations. Only *** percent were worried about the COVID-19 pandemic, which dominated the world after its outbreak in 2020. Global inflation and rising prices Inflation rates have spiked substantially since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. From 2020 to 2021, the worldwide inflation rate increased from *** percent to *** percent, and from 2021 to 2022, the rate increased sharply from *** percent to *** percent. While rates are predicted to fall by 2025, many are continuing to struggle with price increases on basic necessities. Poverty and global development Poverty and social inequality were the third most worrying issues for respondents. While poverty and inequality are still prominent, global poverty rates have been on a steady decline over the years. In 1994, ** percent of people in low-income countries and around one percent of people in high-income countries lived on less than 2.15 U.S. dollars per day. By 2018, this had fallen to almost ** percent of people in low-income countries and 0.6 percent in high-income countries. Moreover, fewer people globally are dying of preventable diseases, and people are living longer lives. Despite these aspects, issues such as wealth inequality have global prominence.

As of 2024, the share of internet users in the CIS region (Commonwealth of Independent States) was the highest in the world, with 91 percent of the female population and 93 percent of the male population accessing the internet. As of the same year, there were 90 percent female and 92 percent male internet users in Europe, making it the second region worldwide by internet usage. Africa was the region where internet access was the lowest. Share of female and male internet users worldwide There are still disparities between the internet access rates of male and female online users in global regions. According to the latest data, 34 percent of Africa’s female population had online access, compared to 45 percent of men. Whereas in the Americas, the share of male and female internet users was the same, 83 percent. There was also a big difference in the share of female and male internet users in the Arab States. In the region, 65 percent of women had access to the internet, whereas the share of the male population using the internet was 75 percent. The gender gap was also seen in mobile internet usage in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). Internet access and SDGs As of 2022, Africa’s online access rate was the lowest worldwide, with estimates showing that just over 30 percent of the total population was using the internet. By comparison, the global average online usage rate was 51 percent. This technological gap between Africa and the rest of the world highlights the need for continued investment in information and communication technologies on the continent, as such processes can speed up progress towards the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations. The Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, are a worldwide agenda to protect the planet, end poverty, and ensure global peace and prosperity. ICTs, especially mobile internet, contribute to the goals by enabling countries to participate in digital economies as well as empowering individuals to access crucial information and services. However, almost 40 percent of the world was not using the internet as of 2021. Particularly disenfranchised groups were frequently excluded from digital society, including women and girls, people with disabilities, elders, indigenous populations, people living in poverty, and inhabitants of least developed or developing countries. The digital gender gap was another obstacle for women to overcome on a global level to achieve economic advancement which would ultimately also benefit their communities.

Switzerland Income Share Held by Third 20% data was reported at 16.800 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 16.600 % for 2014. Switzerland Income Share Held by Third 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 16.600 % from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2015, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.000 % in 2011 and a record low of 16.400 % in 2007. Switzerland Income Share Held by Third 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Switzerland – Table CH.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

As of 2022, the poverty rate was projected at **** percent in Egypt. This was nearly *** percentage points less than the year before. Overall, from 2018 onwards, the poverty rate dropped to **** percent in 2019, before increasing again to about ** percent in 2020. Since 2020, projected poverty rates have followed a declining trend. They are expected to decrease further in 2023. The outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic contributed to the increase of the poverty rate in 2020. Adjusted national poverty lines National poverty lines are calculated based on consumption patterns of households in the country and are therefore adjustable over the years. Egypt’s national poverty line stood at ****** Egyptian pounds (comparable to ****** U.S. dollars) annually as of 2019/2020. This was an increase from ***** Egyptian pounds (****** U.S. dollars) ten years prior. In November 2016, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) declared that it fully floated the Egyptian pound, causing the currency devaluation.   Poverty more prevalent among larger households Poverty rates in the country were higher in households with more individuals. In households with *** or more members, the rate was as high as **** percent in 2019/2020. On the other hand, the poverty rate was significantly lower among households with *** to ***** members. Moreover, Rural Egypt had a higher share of population considered poor compared to Urban Egypt. In fact, in its rural areas in Upper Egypt, the poverty rate reached nearly ** percent.