Goal 1: End Poverty

Eradicating poverty in all its forms remains one of the greatest challenges facing humanity. While the number of people living in extreme poverty has dropped by more than half between 1990 and 2015, too many are still struggling to meet their most basic human needs.

As of 2015, around 736 million people lived on less than US$1.90 a day, with many lacking food, clean drinking water and basic sanitation. Rapid economic growth in countries such as China and India has lifted millions out of poverty, but such progress has been unevenly distributed.

Women are far more likely to remain in poverty than men as they have less access to paid work, education, and thereby own less property.

Furthermore, such progress has been unevenly distributed across global regions, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. These regions account for approximately 80 percent of all people who live in extreme poverty. New threats brought on by climate change, food insecurity and conflict mean even greater efforts will be needed to bring people out of poverty.

The SDGs are a bold commitment to end poverty in all forms and dimensions by 2030. This involves targeting the most vulnerable populations, increasing basic resources and services, and supporting communities affected by conflict and climate-related disasters.