New Global Multidimensional Poverty Index Report reveals nearly 80% of world's poor live in regions exposed to climate hazards

Nearly 8 in 10 people living in multidimensional poverty - 887 million out of 1.1 billion globally - are directly exposed to climate hazards such as extreme heat, flooding, drought, or air pollution, according to a new report released last Friday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.

- 

The 2025 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report "Overlapping Hardships: Poverty and Climate Hazards", released ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, presents new evidence that the climate crisis is reshaping global poverty. By overlaying climate hazard data with multidimensional poverty data for the first time, the findings reveal a world where poverty is not just a standalone socioeconomic issue but one that is deeply interlinked with planetary pressures and instability.

Exposure to climate hazards likely exacerbates the daily challenges faced by people living in poverty, reinforcing and deepening their disadvantages. The report finds that among those assessed to be living in acute multidimensional poverty - spanning health, education, and living standards - an overwhelming 651 million endure two or more climate hazards, while 309 million face three or four hazards simultaneously.

"Our new research shows that to address global poverty and create a more stable world for everyone, we must confront the climate risks endangering nearly 900 million poor people," said Haoliang Xu, UNDP Acting Administrator. "When world leaders meet in Brazil for the Climate Conference, COP30, next month, their national climate pledges must revitalize the stagnating development progress that threatens to leave the world's poorest people behind."