The 2024 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report, developed by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), presents an in-depth analysis of multidimensional poverty worldwide. This year’s focus is on the interplay between poverty and conflict, shedding light on how violent conflicts fuel poverty and impede progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report emphasizes that conflict is a key driver of poverty, particularly affecting children and youth, and that efforts to reduce poverty must consider this factor.
Major Themes
- Poverty and Conflict: Violent conflicts significantly increase poverty levels, limiting access to basic necessities like education, healthcare, and housing. Conflict disproportionately affects vulnerable populations, especially children and youth, leaving them deprived of opportunities for growth and development. The report draws attention to how the continuation of conflicts exacerbates the already precarious conditions faced by these populations.
- Global MPI Overview: The 2024 MPI report provides an updated analysis of global poverty, focusing on who the poor are, where they live, and the types of deprivations they face. It reveals that the vast majority of the poor are concentrated in specific regions, particularly in rural areas of developing countries, where access to basic amenities is severely limited.
- Impact of Conflict on Poverty: The report underscores the stark difference in poverty rates between conflict-affected countries and non-conflict countries. Conflict settings experience much higher levels of deprivation, as essential services like electricity, sanitation, and healthcare are either disrupted or entirely unavailable. As a result, poverty rates in these areas are significantly higher than in more stable regions.
- Data Gaps and Challenges: A significant challenge highlighted in the report is the lack of reliable data from conflict zones, making it difficult to assess the true extent of poverty. This issue leads to underestimations of poverty levels, hindering the development of effective poverty reduction policies. The report also highlights how some countries have not updated their poverty data in over a decade, further complicating global efforts to address poverty.
- Pathways to Poverty Reduction: The report outlines several strategies aimed at reducing poverty in conflict-affected areas. These include targeted interventions to address the specific needs of populations in these regions, such as improved access to education and healthcare, as well as the strengthening of international cooperation to provide humanitarian assistance.
Key Findings
- Global Overview of Multidimensional Poverty: The 2024 report reveals that across 112 countries, with a combined population of 6.3 billion, 1.1 billion people (18.3%) live in acute multidimensional poverty. Of these, more than half are children under the age of 18, underscoring the disproportionate burden that poverty places on the youngest members of society. Additionally, rural populations continue to bear the brunt of poverty, with 83.7% of the poor living in rural areas, where 28% are classified as poor compared to just 6.6% in urban areas.
- Regional Concentrations of Poverty: Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are home to 83.2% of the world’s multidimensionally poor, with 553 million poor people in Sub-Saharan Africa and 402 million in South Asia. These two regions remain the epicenters of global poverty, driven by both conflict and developmental challenges. Furthermore, two-thirds of the global poor live in middle-income countries, pointing to the inequality that persists within these nations despite their overall economic growth.
- Deprivations Faced by the Poor: Among the 1.1 billion individuals living in poverty:
- 828 million lack adequate sanitation.
- 886 million do not have proper housing.
- 998 million lack access to clean cooking fuel.
- Over half (637 million) live with at least one undernourished person in their household.
- 579 million lack access to electricity.
- 590 million live in households where no one has completed at least six years of schooling.
- 513 million do not have access to an improved source of drinking water.
- 482 million children are currently out of school.
Changes in Poverty Levels
- Of the 86 countries with harmonized data:
- 76 countries have successfully reduced their MPI values at least once since tracking began, indicating global progress in tackling poverty.
- However, only 9 out of 17 countries with trend data saw significant reductions in both MPI value and the incidence of poverty during or after the COVID-19 pandemic. This underscores how the pandemic disrupted poverty alleviation efforts in many countries.
Impact of Conflict on Poverty
- Of the 1.1 billion poor people globally, 218 million (or 19%) reside in war-affected countries.
- In these conflict zones, the poverty incidence rate is as high as 34.8%, compared to just 10.9% in non-conflict regions. This highlights how war significantly worsens living conditions and deepens poverty.
- The report shows that deprivation rates across all MPI indicators are considerably higher in conflict-affected areas. For instance, 26.9% of the population in war-torn regions lacks electricity, compared to just 5.6% in non-conflict areas. In Afghanistan, poverty levels soared, with 64.9% of the population living in poverty, and nearly three out of five poor individuals being children.
Data Gaps and Challenges
- The difficulty of obtaining reliable data from conflict-affected areas means that poverty in these regions is often underestimated. This lack of data hinders the formulation of effective policies and interventions.
- Furthermore, many countries have not updated their data in over a decade, further exacerbating the challenges in measuring and addressing poverty.
The 2024 MPI report provides a stark reminder of the pressing need to tackle both poverty and conflict. With over 1 billion people living in multidimensional poverty, particularly in conflict-ridden regions like Afghanistan, immediate action is necessary. The report calls for targeted interventions, enhanced data collection, and international cooperation to effectively address poverty and improve the living conditions of the world’s most vulnerable populations.
Key Recommendations
- Improve data collection efforts in conflict zones to better assess poverty levels.
- Design targeted policies that address the unique challenges faced by those living in conflict settings.
- Strengthen international cooperation to provide humanitarian aid and support development initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and improving overall well-being.
By focusing on these strategies, global stakeholders can make significant strides toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and alleviating the impacts of conflict on impoverished communities.