A recent report by Visual Capitalist, citing World Bank data, paints a startling picture of extreme poverty across the world. According to the data, absolute poverty refers to living on less than three dollars a day—an amount that cannot meet even the most basic human needs.
At the top of this grim list stands the Democratic Republic of Congo, where 85.3% of the population lives below that threshold. It is followed by Mozambique (82.2%), Malawi (75.4%), Burundi (74.2%), Zambia (71.7%), and the Central African Republic (71.6%). The figures show that poverty in Africa is not only structural but chronic, intertwined with the legacies of colonialism, poor infrastructure, and political corruption.
Overall, about 559 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa live in absolute poverty—roughly half of the region’s population. The regional average stands at 45.5%, a number that starkly reflects the deep development gap embedded in the global economic system. Countries such as Niger (60.5%), Uganda (59.8%), Zimbabwe (49.2%), and Kenya (46.4%) remain trapped in a cycle of dependency and structural poverty.
Yet absolute poverty is not confined to Africa. Kosovo in Europe reports 25% of its population living under the poverty line, Syria 16.5%, the Philippines 11.5%, and Bangladesh 8%—showing that this crisis transcends geography. Even in Latin America, nations like Guatemala (9.7%) and Honduras (17%) continue to struggle with entrenched inequality.
These statistics raise a fundamental question: why, despite advances in technology, the communications revolution, and economic globalization, do millions still live in extreme poverty? The answer lies in the unjust global distribution of wealth, the dependence of southern economies on raw materials, and the concentration of economic power in the hands of a global minority.
Iran, too, has not escaped the challenge of absolute poverty. While the share of people living under the World Bank’s international threshold of $3 per day is estimated at under 2%, local benchmarks and the real cost of living tell a different story. According to the Iranian Parliament’s Research Centre, around 10–12% of the population lives in absolute poverty, while more than 30% experience relative poverty.
The main causes are chronic inflation, soaring housing costs, the declining purchasing power of the rial, and the inefficiency of the subsidy system. Poverty in Iran does not typically appear as famine or widespread hunger, but as deprivation of adequate nutrition, quality education, stable employment, and economic security. This form of poverty—especially prevalent in rural areas, urban fringes, and southern and eastern provinces—requires targeted, equity-driven policies.
Ultimately, absolute poverty is not merely an economic indicator; it is a sign of a moral and human crisis. The modern world may be moving rapidly toward digitalization and technological growth, yet millions still struggle to meet their most basic needs. Without reforming global economic structures, effectively supporting vulnerable communities, and restoring distributive justice within nations, poverty will not disappear—it will evolve into a growing threat to peace and future stability.
NOURNEWS