The 2026 report found that 51.5 million more people are living in acute poverty than in the previous update. Children account for 617 million of those affected, while 83% live in rural areas.

The index measures deprivation in health, education and living standards, including access to clean water, electricity and schooling. It covers 108 countries in developing regions, representing 78% of the world's population.

"The rise in poverty should be a wake-up call for the world,” said Alexander De Croo, administrator of the U.N. Development Programme, adding that coordinated action could help reverse the trend.

Population growth contributed to the increase, the report said. However, several countries continued to make progress. Egypt, Nepal and Tajikistan reduced both their poverty rates and the number of people affected, while Angola and Zambia lowered poverty rates but saw overall numbers rise.

Nigeria, which made significant gains during the 2010s, experienced a reversal in the 2020s, with both its poverty rate and the number of people living in poverty increasing.

The report also found that 33 of 89 countries with comparable data halved their index values in fewer than 15 years. China achieved the reduction in four years, while Eswatini reduced the share of people living in multidimensional poverty to 8% from 38.7% over 15 years.