Current Country Status and Key Initiatives to Support SDG 1 Targets

SDG 1 - "End poverty in all its forms everywhere"

Status Overview

Global poverty reduction is virtually at a standstill. Around 9% of people worldwide lived in extreme poverty in 2022. Working poverty affected 244 million workers in 2024. While social protection coverage has reached a milestone of covering half the world's population, low-income countries have shown almost no improvement since 2015. Inequality within and between countries continues to hinder poverty reduction, with the poorest often left behind in periods of recovery. Inclusive and sustained economic growth, particularly in low-income and fragile settings, remains critical to reversing current trends. Accelerating progress towards a poverty-free world will require strengthening social protection systems and mobilising greater international resources to help countries recover from the stalled progress of recent years. The UN, in collaboration with the World Bank and other partners, works to address structural inequalities, reduce poverty and increase social protection coverage. The UN hosts and supports the G20 Alliance on Hunger and Poverty, launched in 2024 under Brazil’s G20 presidency, to mobilise coordinated global action and investment in support of poverty reduction in the most vulnerable countries.

Report of the UN Secretary-General, May 2025

Proposed Initiatives for SDG 1 Targets

To support accelerated progress toward SDG 1, this section presents a set of evidence‑based initiatives, followed by tailored recommendations presented by country context, i.e., countries classified by the World Bank as low‑income, middle‑income, high‑income, and fragile/conflict‑affected states (FCAS). These key recommendations recognise that countries face different constraints and opportunities, and therefore require differentiated policy and financing approaches.


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