Extreme Poverty

How bad is extreme poverty globally?

It is true that ~700 million people around the world live on less than $2.15 USD per day. This forces people to make impossible choices for themselves and their families regarding healthcare, food, water, education, and housing. As a result, ~14,500 children under the age of five die every day from completely preventable causes, such as malaria, diarrhea, or malnutrition.

 
A little girl plays with a blue net
A smiling mother holds her child while others play and work around her.
A child collects water from an outdoor tap
Children look at the camera while one of them shows a medication.
 

Well, are we making progress?

Yes! ... and no. For the past 30 years, the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen consistently every year. Largely driven by economic growth in China and India, more than 1 billion people have escaped extreme poverty, even as the world’s population has grown by more than 2 billion people. 

There are many factors that contribute to global poverty, including global pandemics. The economic damage caused by the coronavirus saw this trend reverse, pushing nearly 100 million people into extreme poverty.

Two volunteers from One for the World Organization
One for the World volunteers organized an event to spread the word about their cause.
One for the World volunteers organized an event to spread the word about their cause.
One for the World volunteers organized an event to spread the word about their cause.

What can we
do about it?

Significant drivers of extreme poverty are completely preventable or treatable illness and deaths. If these illnesses and deaths can be addressed through simple and affordable interventions, we can and probably should do something about them. 

Most of us can live comfortably retaining 99% of our annual income. The 1% that we pledge to One for the World could mean the difference between life and death for thousands of people living in extreme poverty. 

With your 1% Pledge going directly to our list of highly effective nonprofit partners, we can bolster programs that are already skilled at delivering vaccines, an adequate supply of food, safe drinking water, and antimalarial drugs and bed nets. 

These programs have so far made tremendous headway in solving these preventable problems - between 2004 and 2020, global malaria deaths fell from just over 950,000 per year to around 650,000. 

Are you ready to take the 1% Pledge with One for the World? Get started by clicking the button below! 

 

  • Problem

    746 million people live in extreme poverty, consuming less than $1.90/day adjusted for cost of living

  • Problem

    The world’s median annual income is $2,920, adjusted for cost of living. Half of the world lives on less than this for the entire year

  • Progress

    Extreme poverty is decreasing. More than a billion people have moved out of extreme poverty since 1999.

  • Progress

    Malaria is a leading cause of death in poor countries. But by funding proven and effective interventions, we can eliminate it in our lifetime.