A report from the United Nations indicates that the southern African region is the only area in the world where severe poverty has continued to rise over the past 20 years. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization, in its annual report published on Tuesday, states that 47 percent of all people living in countries in the southern African region survive on less than one dollar a day. According to this organization, this figure has increased by five percent between 1981 and 2001. The Industrial Development Organization's report notes that, unlike the southern African region, the number of people living in extreme poverty worldwide has decreased from 40 percent to 21 percent during the same period. The report states that the economies of southern African countries need to grow by more than four percent annually to meet the United Nations' goal of halving poverty in this region by 2015.
UN: Severe Poverty in the Southern African Region is Increasing
The UN reports that severe poverty in the southern African region has been increasing for the past 20 years, with 47% of the population living on less than one dollar a day. In contrast, global extreme poverty has decreased significantly. This situation highlights the urgent need for economic growth in the region to meet UN poverty reduction goals.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The UN reported that severe poverty in the southern African region has risen over the past 20 years, with 47% of the population living on less than one dollar a day. This contrasts sharply with a global decline in extreme poverty during the same period.
- 47% of people in southern Africa live on less than one dollar a day.
- Global extreme poverty has decreased from 40% to 21% since 1981.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Severe poverty is defined as living on less than $1.90 a day, and the southern African region has struggled with economic growth and development for decades.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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