More than 300 million people are expected to face severe food insecurity in 2024 or worse, and the deprivation does not stay confined to hunger alone. From pregnancy deaths to clean energy, the gap shows up in health, education, and household conditions tied to poverty. This post brings together the latest global indicators to show how those risks cluster for the poorest communities.
Key Takeaways
- 800 women died each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2017 (WHO), reflecting poor access to healthcare linked to poverty
- 3.4 million people died from diarrhoeal diseases in 2019 globally (WHO/GBD), driven by unsafe water and sanitation concentrated among the poor
- 4.5 million people died from household air pollution in 2016 (GBD/WHO summarized), reflecting a poverty-linked risk from solid fuels
- 800 million people experience hunger each year during periods of acute food insecurity (FAO/World Food Programme synthesis on food insecurity), linked to poverty
- 652 million people were chronically undernourished in 2022
- 3.3 billion people lacked access to electricity in 2022
- 2.3 billion people used solid fuels for cooking in 2022
- 31.7% of global residents were below the national poverty line in 2022 (country reporting combined)
- 22% of people in fragile and conflict-affected settings experienced multidimensional poverty in 2022
- 300 million people were projected to be in IPC Phase 3 or higher by early 2024 (severe food insecurity)
- 25.3% of the world’s population (about 2.0 billion people) lived in moderate or severe food insecurity in 2022, indicating widespread poverty-linked deprivation of access to adequate food
- 733 million people faced hunger in 2022 (up from 690 million in 2019), reflecting persistent poverty and vulnerability to shocks
- Approximately 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2022, underscoring poverty constraints on nutrition quality
- 1 in 7 children under 5 years old (about 148 million) were stunted in 2022, a poverty-linked marker of chronic undernutrition
- About 49 million children under 5 years old were wasted in 2022, reflecting acute undernutrition risk often concentrated among poor households
Millions still suffer poverty driven health and hunger risks, from unsafe cooking to food insecurity, despite known solutions.
Related reading
01 · Category
Health & Survival12 stats
01
800 women died each day from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2017 (WHO), reflecting poor access to healthcare linked to poverty
02
3.4 million people died from diarrhoeal diseases in 2019 globally (WHO/GBD), driven by unsafe water and sanitation concentrated among the poor
03
4.5 million people died from household air pollution in 2016 (GBD/WHO summarized), reflecting a poverty-linked risk from solid fuels
04
13.5% of global deaths are attributable to undernutrition (WHO/UNICEF/World Bank estimates), a major poverty-linked risk
05
26% of adults were not physically active globally in 2016 (WHO estimate), higher in resource-poor populations in many contexts
06
18 million people died from noncommunicable diseases attributable to air pollution in 2019 (WHO/GBD synthesis), with disproportionate impact on poorer populations
07
Out-of-pocket spending exceeded 50% of total health expenditure in many low-income countries in 2020 (WHO database), often increasing catastrophic expenditures for the poor
08
1 in 10 people in the world (about 728 million) lacked access to essential medicines (WHO estimate), affecting poorer populations disproportionately
09
3.0 million people died from malaria in 2021 (WHO estimate), showing continued health burdens affecting poverty-stricken regions
10
1.3 million people died from tuberculosis in 2021 (WHO estimate), reflecting disease burdens concentrated where poverty is prevalent
11
10.6 million people fell ill with tuberculosis in 2022 (WHO), often linked to overcrowding and poverty
12
In 2022, 39% of children aged 6–59 months received no routine immunizations in some countries (WHO/UNICEF immunization coverage estimates), related to poverty and health access gaps
Interpretation
Health & Survival Interpretation
Health and survival risks are tightly tied to poverty, as seen in 2021 when 3.0 million people died from malaria and 1.3 million died from tuberculosis, underscoring how major preventable and treatable diseases continue to concentrate where health access and resources are weakest.
02 · Category
Food Security & Nutrition1 stats
01
800 million people experience hunger each year during periods of acute food insecurity (FAO/World Food Programme synthesis on food insecurity), linked to poverty
Interpretation
Food Security & Nutrition Interpretation
Every year, 800 million people experience hunger during periods of acute food insecurity closely tied to poverty, underscoring how persistent deprivation can directly disrupt food security and nutrition.
03 · Category
Health And Nutrition1 stats
01
652 million people were chronically undernourished in 2022
Interpretation
Health And Nutrition Interpretation
In the Health and Nutrition area, 652 million people were chronically undernourished in 2022, showing that hunger remains a huge and persistent public health challenge.
04 · Category
Infrastructure And Energy2 stats
01
3.3 billion people lacked access to electricity in 2022
02
2.3 billion people used solid fuels for cooking in 2022
Interpretation
Infrastructure And Energy Interpretation
In 2022, the infrastructure and energy gap was stark, with 3.3 billion people lacking electricity and 2.3 billion still relying on solid fuels for cooking.
05 · Category
Poverty Measures3 stats
01
31.7% of global residents were below the national poverty line in 2022 (country reporting combined)
02
22% of people in fragile and conflict-affected settings experienced multidimensional poverty in 2022
03
300 million people were projected to be in IPC Phase 3 or higher by early 2024 (severe food insecurity)
Interpretation
Poverty Measures Interpretation
In the Poverty Measures picture, poverty is widespread and persistent, with 31.7% of people in 2022 living below their national poverty lines and 22% facing multidimensional poverty in fragile and conflict-affected settings, while 300 million were projected to be in IPC Phase 3 or higher by early 2024, signaling severe need beyond income alone.
06 · Category
Food Insecurity4 stats
01
25.3% of the world’s population (about 2.0 billion people) lived in moderate or severe food insecurity in 2022, indicating widespread poverty-linked deprivation of access to adequate food
02
733 million people faced hunger in 2022 (up from 690 million in 2019), reflecting persistent poverty and vulnerability to shocks
03
Approximately 3.1 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2022, underscoring poverty constraints on nutrition quality
04
In 2023, 350 million people faced acute food insecurity at IPC Phase 3 or above (or equivalent), reflecting extreme deprivation concentrated among vulnerable populations
Interpretation
Food Insecurity Interpretation
In 2022, 25.3% of the world’s population, about 2.0 billion people, lived with moderate or severe food insecurity, and in 2023 another 350 million were at IPC Phase 3 or above, showing that hunger and poverty-linked lack of food access remain widespread and intensifying for the most vulnerable.
More related reading
07 · Category
Health Deprivation2 stats
01
1 in 7 children under 5 years old (about 148 million) were stunted in 2022, a poverty-linked marker of chronic undernutrition
02
About 49 million children under 5 years old were wasted in 2022, reflecting acute undernutrition risk often concentrated among poor households
Interpretation
Health Deprivation Interpretation
In 2022, health deprivation linked to poverty was evident as 1 in 7 children under 5, about 148 million, were stunted and about 49 million were wasted, showing both long term and acute undernutrition risks among the poorest households.
08 · Category
Education & Connectivity3 stats
01
1.5 billion people lacked access to basic hygiene services (handwashing facilities with soap and water at home) in 2020, reinforcing disease vulnerability among poor households
02
4.4% of the global population (about 340 million people) were not enrolled in school in 2022, reducing human capital accumulation pathways out of poverty
03
Over 700 million adults worldwide (about 15% of the global adult population) are illiterate, limiting access to jobs and services that can break poverty cycles
Interpretation
Education & Connectivity Interpretation
In the Education and Connectivity category, an estimated 340 million people were still out of school in 2022 and more than 700 million adults are illiterate, showing that weak education access and related skills barriers remain a major constraint on escaping poverty.
09 · Category
Energy Poverty2 stats
01
774 million people did not have access to electricity in 2021 (or earlier latest estimates), limiting education, productivity, and income generation
02
1.5 billion people worldwide use wood, charcoal, crop residues, or animal dung as their primary cooking fuel, indicating continued reliance on solid fuels in poverty contexts
Interpretation
Energy Poverty Interpretation
Even as of 2021, 774 million people lacked access to electricity and 1.5 billion still rely on solid fuels for cooking, showing that energy poverty remains a major barrier to education, productivity, and income across the world.
10 · Category
Conflict & Displacement1 stats
01
As of end-2023, 68.7 million people were forcibly displaced (including refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons), with poverty risks amplified by displacement
Interpretation
Conflict & Displacement Interpretation
By the end of 2023, 68.7 million people were forcibly displaced and the risk of poverty rose alongside displacement, underscoring how conflict and displacement are tightly linked to worsening poverty outcomes.
11 · Category
Labor & Income1 stats
01
In 2022, the global social protection coverage (people receiving at least one cash benefit) was 46% (a coverage gap of 54%), leaving many poor households without adequate buffers
Interpretation
Labor & Income Interpretation
In the Labor and Income category, only 46% of people received at least one cash benefit in 2022, meaning a 54% coverage gap leaves many poor households without the income support they need to weather shocks.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Emilia Santos. (2026, February 13). World Poverty Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/world-poverty-statistics
MLA
Emilia Santos. "World Poverty Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/world-poverty-statistics.
Chicago
Emilia Santos. 2026. "World Poverty Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/world-poverty-statistics.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+19 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)