A new global Multidimensional Poverty Index update published October 12 counts 1.2 billion people in acute multidimensional poverty across 108 countries. UNDP and Oxford’s poverty research initiative report an increase of 51.5 million from the previous comparable update.

The measure combines deprivations in health, education and living standards rather than relying only on income. More than half of those counted are children, and most live in rural areas. These findings describe overlapping difficulties, not a single uniform experience in every country.

The comparison requires care. UNDP says updated population estimates account for part of the increase where no new survey was available. Other changes reflect poverty incidence, demographics and differences in indicator coverage. It would be misleading to interpret the entire rise as newly observed household deterioration.

The report also identifies 33 countries that halved their MPI value in fewer than 15 years among those with trend data. That progress does not erase the larger total, but it provides evidence that sustained reductions are possible.