Global Goal 1 - No Poverty

No Poverty Global goal 1

A goal to end poverty in all forms by 2030 may seem insurmountable.

It's not. We are already well on our way to achieving the goal.

In the 1800's, over 94% of the world's population lived in extreme poverty. By the 1990's, that number had dropped to 30%.

Today, less than 10% of people, live in extreme poverty, and while it's still a significant issue, that number is continuing to fall.

Regardless of income, we all have common needs. The way those needs are fulfilled are based on what we can afford.

Dollar Street is a site that arranges families on a street based on income, with pictures of everyday items. Families with similar incomes look very much the same, regardless of the country in which they live.

The Kabura family from Burundi are on the far left side of Dollar Street. They are farmers, and make less than $1/day, which is considered extreme poverty.

This is what their life looks like.

What causes extreme poverty?

Civil unrest and war

Civil unrest and war leaves people without homes. Unstable governments have unstable economies.

Lack of healthcare

When sick people can't get treatment, they often can't work as hard, or at all, making it difficult to support a family.

Climate change

Climate change impacts the actual terrain, often rendering previously sustainable farmland unusable. Natural disasters wash crops away.

Access to education

Many children, especially girls, in poverty, are unable to attend school because of responsibilities at home. If you lack the ability to read, write, and do simple math, your options for more lucrative jobs are limited.

The majority of people living in extreme poverty live in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.

It is possible to see dramatic shifts in poverty in a short period of time. In 1990, more than 60% of people living in East Asia were living in extreme poverty. Today that number is 3.5%. Part of that shift is due to improvements and investments in education. Seven out of top 10 school systems in the world are in East Asia.

Click here to explore more data about extreme poverty.

In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education. - Barack Obama

On the flip-side, one of the biggest barriers to overcoming extreme poverty in Africa is lack of access to education. Two-thirds of out-of-school children live in Sub-Saharan Africa. That means that many children in these countries are being left behind.

What can be done to eradicate extreme poverty?

The cycle of extreme poverty can be broken by providing young people with educational opportunities and basic resources to help them start a new life.

Education and meeting their immediate needs to survive, provides children living in extreme poverty with a way to reinvent their lives and dream about the future.

Farming, raising animals or starting a small business are ways that people have pulled themselves out of extreme poverty for good. Nonprofit and international government organizations have been making this possible by slowly improving the resources available to impoverished communities around the world.

With education, vulnerable community members, such as orphaned children, become drivers of change.

Even children are able to turn their lives around without handouts, using only local resources. This gives them a new voice as respected leaders. They have the knowledge to diversify and expand their businesses—building up the economy of entire communities in the process.

What's Next?

Learn more about Global Goal 1: No Poverty.

Appreciate

Credits:

Created with images by igorovsyannykov - "asia asian boys" • Hush Naidoo - "The doctors room …" • andreas160578 - "climate change climate drought dry period lack" • Nate Greno - "Education in Africa" • Yannis A - "untitled image" • bill wegener - "School is too hard" • Tetbirt Salim - "smile for me"