Global Scans · Poverty · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Due to a deteriorating global economic outlook, more than 130 out of 189 countries will experience reduced income growth, with the average global GDP growth rate falling from 4.1 percent to 3.1 percent between 2011 and 2030. Almost all of the countries with large numbers remaining in extreme poverty in 2030 will be in sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia.

• [New] An accelerated SDG push in social protection, the green economy, education, labour markets, innovation and effective governance can reduce global female extreme poverty from 9.2% in 2025 to 2.7% in 2050 and can unlock an additional $35.6 trillion in global GDP in 2050. UN DESA VOICE
• [New] Progress in reducing global poverty has essentially halted: by 2030, nearly 7% of the world's population - nearly 600 million people-will still struggle in extreme poverty. World Bank
• [New] The World Bank's mission to end poverty and boost shared prosperity on a livable planet envisions a world where growth is not only robust but also broad-based. World Bank Group
• [New] Comprehensive packages could lift 10% of global populations out of poverty within a decade. David Shapiro's Substack
• [New] Funding cuts for international humanitarian aid programs already initiated by the White House could cause more than 14 million additional deaths by 2030. Bread for the World
• [New] For a dual-earning couple, that could mean losing as much as $18,000 per year in benefits - potentially doubling the poverty rate among America's seniors. Fortune
• [New] SDGs Undermined: Ending extreme poverty by 2030 requires $70 billion / year only 0.1% of the GNI of high-income countries. / USA PMF IAS
• Achieving full women's workforce participation could increase global gross domestic product by nearly 20%, helping to reduce poverty. World Bank
• Climate change could push at least 5.9 million more children and young people in Latin America and the Caribbean into poverty by 2030 unless governments act now. UN News
• The U.S. plan could deepen the technological gap between developed and developing nations, further exacerbating global inequality in AI and digital transformation. Futureuae
• Western countries have focused on providing humanitarian assistance, on containing the terrorist threat emanating from Afghanistan, and also trying to find ways on how to end the repressive policies the Taliban have imposed against Afghan women and girls. Stimson Center
• UN-backed experts have warned of widespread famine unfolding in the territory, where Israel has drastically curtailed the amount of humanitarian aid it allows in. Space War
• Millions of South Africans risk retiring into poverty, with significant consequences for their families, communities, and the broader economy. businesslive
• Climate-related health risks could push 100 million people into poverty by 2030 (World Bank). Medical Journal IMJ Health
• The UN continues to plead for more support as more than thirty million need humanitarian assistance, and deteriorating food security risks are triggering the world's largest hunger crisis. Global Conflict Tracker
• A national UBI would cost $87.6 billion annually, but could cut poverty by 40%. Snappers Waterfront
• Humanitarian aid will need to continue to flow into Gaza, preferably through the American-run and Israeli-financed Gaza Humanitarian Fund, in order to minimize Hamas profiteering from every truck, collectively estimated to add up to half a billion dollars. The Washington Institute
• AMR's effects might be more noticeable in low-income countries, which could make poverty rates worse. / USA SpringerLink
• Poverty and inequality can force communities into practices that are environmentally degrading and, at the same time, are responsible for increasing the vulnerability of large segments of the world's population to the impacts of climate change and other crises. Nature
• The risk of starvation in Gaza was a direct result of the Israeli government's policy of blocking humanitarian aid. The Guardian
• Despite all the remarkable progress that's been made, the original goal of eradicating extreme poverty by 2030 now looks almost impossible - the number of people below the new IPL shrunk by just over 1% from 2024 to 2025, compared with the average 3% annual decline seen from 1990 to 2020. Sherwood News
• The UK will recognise the State of Palestine at the upcoming UN General Assembly in September unless Israel agrees to a Gaza ceasefire, facilitates more humanitarian aid, and commits to a two-state peace process. User's blog

Last updated: 12 September 2025