Global Poverty Fact Sheet

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Global Poverty Fact Sheet

Global Challenge:

1.2 billion people live on less than U.S.$1 dollar a day.
Over half of the world's population - 3 billion people -lives on less than U.S.$2 per day.
Every year, 6 million children die from malnutrition before their 5th birthday.
Over 11 million children die each year from preventable causes like malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia.

Source: United Nations Development Programme; Sustainable Human Development and UN Millennium Project.

Global Hope:

The international community has agreed upon a framework, the Millennium Development Goals, for reducing poverty in half by 2015.
Poverty rates have been falling in recent years in all regions except Sub-Saharan Africa.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators 2004

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Definitions of Poverty

Extreme (or absolute) poverty: Living in extreme poverty (less than $1 a day) mean not being able to afford the most basic necessitites to ensure survival. 8 million people a year die from absolute poverty.

Moderate poverty: Moderate poverty, defined as earning about $1 to $2 a day, enables households to just barely meet their basic needs, but they still must forgo many of the things-education, health care-that many of us take for granted. The smallest misfortune (health issue, job loss, etc.) threatens survival.

Relative poverty: Lastly, relative poverty means that a household has an income below the national average.