Poverty Pocket Big – Even Rich Countries Can’t Resist It
Yo, the World Bank just dropped its latest slide‑show on worldwide misery, and the headline is tough: nearly half the planet still lives on under $5.50 a day. That’s a lot of ramen budget! Even those folks in the wealthy nations are feeling the pinch, which is a bit of a plot twist.
What the Numbers Are Saying
- $5.50-a‑day threshold: for 1990‑2015, global poverty slides from 67% to 46%.
- $1.90-a‑day (extreme poverty): 10% of people are still stuck in the bottom rung.
- From 2013‑2015, 68 million souls escaped the poverty trap – roughly Thailand or the UK’s whole population.
- China has been the party animal in Asia, slashing East Asia & Pacific poverty by a whopping 60 points, down to 35%.
- Sub‑Saharan Africa is still the hedgehog: 84.5% of its population crunches on less than $5.50.
Is the 2030 Goal Hanging on a Neat Line?
Good news: the globe is slowly chipping away at extreme poverty. Bad news: the progress is slowing down. The World Bank’s dream of crushing extreme poverty to <3% by 2030 might just be a wish list that sprinkles a bit too far.
Why the Numbers Keep Working Against Us
The report is pretty steely: “Extreme poverty is becoming a stubborn habit in a handful of places, and the pace of getting out of it is about to take a nosedive.” That’s a real double‑header.
Quick Take‑away
Global growth has been a bit of a tease. Even when economies grow – and yet still, the good stuff isn’t shared evenly.
Bottom line: While we’ve pulled some people into brighter spots, the world’s still got some work to do before the “poverty” title gets a nice, airy subtitle.
