📋 Tender Overview
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The World Bank Group says global progress on reducing extreme poverty has stalled and is at risk of worsening unless countries accelerate per-person economic growth and create more and better jobs. In its new , the World Bank projects that the number of people living in extreme poverty could be higher in 2030 than it is today.
The report finds that in 2026, about 811 million people--roughly one in ten globally--live on less than 3.00 per person per day, a level that has essentially not changed since the pandemic. To reduce extreme poverty to 3% by 2050, the World Bank says per-capita growth would need to average around 4% per year, about double the rate achieved over the last 25 years.
Poverty concentrated in a small number of economies
The World Bank says extreme poverty remains heavily concentrated. More than half of the worlds extremely poor live in just nine economies, and by 2030 the report estimates that 87% of people in extreme poverty will live in Sub-Saharan Africa or in fragile and conflict-affected situations.
Beyond the extreme poverty line, the report also highlights persistent deprivation. Nearly half of the global population--3.7 billion people--still lives on less than 8.30 per day, which the World Bank says has remained stagnant since 1990. The 3.00/day line is an extreme poverty measure based on low-income-country standards, while 8.30/day is the standard used for upper-middle-income contexts.
Jobs as a pathway out of poverty
The report argues that poverty reduction depends on both more jobs and better jobs. It identifies two mutually reinforcing priorities.
First, it calls for closing employment gaps, by raising employment rates among working-age adults in poor households to 75%. The World Bank links progress on employment in part to narrowing gender employment gaps; it estimates that closing the gender gap in employment rates could reduce global extreme poverty by roughly one-fifth.
Second, it highlights the need to close earning gaps, focusing on the low-return nature of many livelihoods among poorer workers. The report notes that many people in extreme poverty are concentrated in low-return activities such as smallholder farming and have lower levels of education. It estimates that raising education to the average attained by people above the extreme poverty line could increase predicted earnings by around 40% and cut extreme poverty nearly in half.
The report also suggests that helping poor workers move into wage employment or out of agriculture could reduce poverty by about one-fifth, according to the World Bank.
Focus on farmers, small businesses, and women
While the report emphasizes the same overarching goal across countries, it states that policy priorities would differ by context. It calls for helping farmers and small businesses earn more, expanding opportunities for better jobs, and bringing more women into the workforce.
The World Bank frames employment outcomes not only as a route out of poverty but also as a foundation for economic security and a growing middle class. It also notes that progress remains possible even in challenging circumstances, though the global outlook depends on stronger growth and job creation.
Why the update matters for development work
For NGOs, civil society organizations, grantmakers, and development partners, the reinforces the central role of labor markets, skills, and income-generating pathways in poverty reduction strategies. The reports emphasis on both employment participation and earnings quality points to the importance of program design that supports not just job access but also productivity, education, and inclusive workforce participation.
Key Details
Initiative or programme:
Lead organization: World Bank Group
Partners: Not specified in the supplied source
Funding amount: Not specified in the supplied source
Geographic focus: Global; extreme poverty concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and fragile/conflict-affected situations
Target groups: People living in extreme poverty; working-age adults in poor households; women (related to employment gaps); workers in low-return activities such as smallholder farming
Duration or timeline: Report published October 26, 2026; projections for 2030 and 2050
Expected reach or outcomes: In 2026, about 811 million people live on less than 3.00/day; to reach 3% extreme poverty by 2050, per-capita growth would need to average around 4% per year (about double the last 25-year rate). The report estimates employment and earnings interventions could substantially reduce extreme poverty (e.g., closing gender employment gaps could reduce it by roughly one-fifth; improving education and shifting into wage work or out of agriculture could cut extreme poverty further).
Why This Matters
The reports central message--that poverty reduction is stalling without stronger per-person growth and job creation--has practical implications for development programming. For NGOs and development professionals, the World Banks focus on both employment gaps and earnings gaps suggests that interventions may need to be designed around inclusive labor market participation (including women) and pathways that increase productivity and earnings, not only short-term job placement.
The geographic emphasis on Sub-Saharan Africa and fragile or conflict-affected settings also matters for organizations working in high-need environments, where job creation and livelihood support can intersect with education, skills, and resilience. The reports framework may help NGOs and partners align proposals and evidence strategies with priorities that link labor outcomes to poverty reduction and broader goals such as economic security and the expansion of the middle class.
