Global Poverty Will Hit New Low This Year, World Bank Says

Less than 10 percent of the world's population will be living in extreme poverty by the end of 2015, the World Bank forecast on Sunday.

The Washington-based institution's latest projections expect the number of people who survive on $1.90 a day to drop from 12.8 percent of the human population in 2012 to 9.6 percent this year. That means 702 million people still struggle to survive.

But that's a stunning decline from the numbers reported over the last 25 years. According to the World Bank, 37.1 percent of the world's population lived in extreme poverty in 1990. In 2015, that number is estimated to drop to 9.6 percent.

Global Poverty Will Hit New Low This Year, World Bank Says

Well, what else can I say except WOW! This is some awesome news. See folks! This is news that things ARE improving. The world isn't headed for some 1984 style dystopia. Sure there is still tons of inequality still and things aren't fair (they'll never be fair, so there's that too), but that doesn't mean that we're all going to hell in a bucket.



Clearly we aren't out of the water yet. Even 9.6% is still too high in my opinion.

"This is the best story in the world today -- these projections show us that we are the first generation in human history that can end extreme poverty," World Bank President Jim Yong Kim said in a press release. "This new forecast of poverty falling into the single digits should give us new momentum and help us focus even more clearly on the most effective strategies to end extreme poverty."

Eradicating poverty by 2030 -- a goal set by the United Nations and non-governmental organizations around the world -- hasn't suddenly become easy, Kim warned.

"It will be extraordinarily hard, especially in a period of slower global growth, volatile financial markets, conflicts, high youth unemployment, and the growing impact of climate change," he said. "But it remains within our grasp, as long as our high aspirations are matched by country-led plans that help the still millions of people living in extreme poverty."

Like I said, it's still an uphill battle. There are still challenges that must be overcome.

Despite the overall decline, the number of poor is not dropping as fast in some areas entrenched in conflict or dependent on commodity exports, the World Bank noted. Suffering is becoming increasingly concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa. That region, which accounted for 15 percent of global poverty in 1990, now accounts for half.

The region's increased share of the world's poor is largely explained by poverty in South Asia dropping drastically from 50.6 percent in 1990 to a projected 11.9 percent by the end of 2015, but the situation in Sub-Saharan Africa is exacerbated by the region's rapid population growth of 2.6 percent a year, experts say.

Hmmm imagine that, it's hard to rise out of poverty when your home is constantly being destroyed... Looks like the next biggest step is to end warfare. Yikes, that's going to upset some warhawks out there.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

I keep hearing that in the past 20 years serious global poverty has been halved. Yet the world which we occupy today has far more widespread refugee problems not to mention war and conflict all over the place.

Should we ever seriously wish to address world poverty we really need to stop killing one another and start helping. Point of fact should the Vatican bank wish to end world poverty all they need to do is open there coffers considering the vast sums available to them.

It is interesting time we live in...

Not only that we are unable to fight poverty, we are destroying out little planet with pollution, unreasonable exploitation of resources and by destroying what used to be thought as unlimited resource - oceans. We managed to harvest much more then oceans can renew, and climate change made big impact on shores and ocean life.

There is no argument who did all of this, and this in end will just create more issue with poverty, as big part of world population depends on ocean for feeding.

Add to this war conflicts (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine) and aftermath of Arab spring... and you'll get picture of not so bright world we live in...

Seems like sinking ship... we fill one hole, 2 more pop-up...

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Sorry to say this, but that sounds like a scam numbers, I guess people are forgetting the mass exodus of people invading the EU right now, guess what all that people are going to be living in poverty.

I see the poverty growing no getting any better.

originally posted by: andy06shake
a reply to: Krazysh0t

I keep hearing that in the past 20 years serious global poverty has been halved. Yet the world which we occupy today has far more widespread refugee problems not to mention war and conflict all over the place.

Well that's the thing, there are so many places available for the refugees to flee to that offer a better quality of life, that the urge is too tempting once the land becomes war torn long enough.

Should we ever seriously wish to address world poverty we really need to stop killing one another and start helping. Point of fact should the Vatican bank wish to end world poverty all they need to do is open there coffers considering the vast sums available to them.

Agreed. I'd rather people stayed where their homes are and improve upon them instead of being forced to move somewhere else.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Sorry to say this, but that sounds like a scam numbers, I guess people are forgetting the mass exodus of people invading the EU right now, guess what all that people are going to be living in poverty.

I see the poverty growing no getting any better.

Many of those who reach EU countries, manly Germany will not be in this group as most likely they will find job. I remember reading recently that this actually helps Germany and EU with population growing older and birth rate being low or even negative for extended period of time.

Sure, large number of people can't even try to make their life better because of war or surrounding... look at Palestine, people there are almost forbidden to live... and everything is set to make them wish they can leave... or die trying... because it is just impossible to live under constant occupation and destruction.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Sorry to say this, but that sounds like a scam numbers, I guess people are forgetting the mass exodus of people invading the EU right now, guess what all that people are going to be living in poverty.

I see the poverty growing no getting any better.

They already LIVE in poverty. Their homes were destroyed. They aren't going to be adding or subtracting from any poverty numbers because their situation was and still is one of poverty. The only difference there is that they've been displaced to a new place to live.

ETA: Now that I think about it, once they move to the EU, they'll have more opportunities to improve their lives. They'll start economies within their own communities and then reach out to established communities to expand that economy. So actually, the refugee numbers are likely to have people subtracting from global poverty.

Damn 10%...

How dare they have 90% of the poverty!

We must fix this!

(There! I said it, now no one else has to!)

originally posted by: SuperFrog
It is interesting time we live in...

Not only that we are unable to fight poverty, we are destroying out little planet with pollution, unreasonable exploitation of resources and by destroying what used to be thought as unlimited resource - oceans. We managed to harvest much more then oceans can renew, and climate change made big impact on shores and ocean life.

There is no argument who did all of this, and this in end will just create more issue with poverty, as big part of world population depends on ocean for feeding.

Add to this war conflicts (Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine) and aftermath of Arab spring... and you'll get picture of not so bright world we live in...

Seems like sinking ship... we fill one hole, 2 more pop-up...

It seems like it, but I don't agree. First, while I do believe in man made climate change, I don't think it will spell the doom of humanity or even a large part of humanity. There may be some wars fought over displaced populations, but I think humanity will persevere. Humans are a VERY tenacious species and not to mention have one of the most overpowered evolutionary adaptations seen on this planet so far. Intelligent thought. Of course we decry the idiots in our society, but even they think and reason at higher levels than animals.

It's easy to be pessimistic while looking at the world as a whole, but if you want to be a realist you need to be able to recognize the times to be optimistic too.

a reply to: SuperFrog

You are forgotten that the refuges are no only living in camps but they will never assimilate their systems of believe to those of the countries they are running into, firs it takes years to brake the language barriers, second they have to accommodate them within the population that most resemble from where they come from, you forget also that this refugees bring their tribal connections and they may be from the middle east but they also belong to different sects and tribes.

All that will cause chaos within the societies they are trying to get into, first.

How this middle eastern migration has done in the EK? so far? is a lot of societal tensions between them and the rest of the population and most are still living in poverty even after years later.

a reply to: Krazysh0t

Look at the UK and see how well the migration of middle eastern people is doing today, after years of living in exile they are still living in poverty just in another country, one thing change, they expect the countries to where they migrated to support them financially.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Look at the UK and see how well the migration of middle eastern people is doing today, after years of living in exile they are still living in poverty just in another country, one thing change, they expect the countries to where they migrated to support them financially.

People don't rise out of poverty overnight. It can take generations to rise out of poverty. Not to mention, not everyone has what it takes. And again, living in poverty in one country then living in another country in poverty isn't going to change the overall worldwide poverty levels.

Humans beings natural state is poverty, anything else is only temporary

a reply to: Krazysh0t

You are right about that, that is why here in the US we have the welfare system and growing incredibly every year, is better to give up and live on the system than creating a better way of life when society fails to provide ways to do it.

originally posted by: Krazysh0t
It seems like it, but I don't agree. First, while I do believe in man made climate change, I don't think it will spell the doom of humanity or even a large part of humanity. There may be some wars fought over displaced populations, but I think humanity will persevere. Humans are a VERY tenacious species and not to mention have one of the most overpowered evolutionary adaptations seen on this planet so far. Intelligent thought. Of course we decry the idiots in our society, but even they think and reason at higher levels than animals.

It's easy to be pessimistic while looking at the world as a whole, but if you want to be a realist you need to be able to recognize the times to be optimistic too.

Oh, sorry, did not want to sound so pessimistic.

But now, that we are talking about grim side of humanity, let's remember one of my favorite authors quote....

It has yet to be proven that intelligence has any survival value.
~Sir Arthur C. Clarke

And no, I hope we will not destroy ourselves or our planet, but life made me realistic and realize that issues we see in this topic, as well what I mentioned about Ocean will not go away, not easily and not without involvement of all parties/humanity. We are past the point to fix it easy... impact... we can hope is not going to be devastating... worst case scenario - sea level rises, people move and adopt to new surroundings... no big deal as long as technology can keep up and feed us all.

This of course excludes possible WWIII and nuclear cataclysm... still, we might survive... but life after such cataclysmic event would be no where close to what life on planet was in past few million years...

Global economists will tell you that China alone is responsible for the improved global poverty numbers.

Source

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: SuperFrog

You are forgotten that the refuges are no only living in camps but they will never assimilate their systems of believe to those of the countries they are running into, firs it takes years to brake the language barriers, second they have to accommodate them within the population that most resemble from where they come from, you forget also that this refugees bring their tribal connections and they may be from the middle east but they also belong to different sects and tribes.

All that will cause chaos within the societies they are trying to get into, first.

How this middle eastern migration has done in the EK? so far? is a lot of societal tensions between them and the rest of the population and most are still living in poverty even after years later.

This is a short-sighted view of the situation. Generationally, it becomes easier for each subsequent generation to assimilate into the new culture. So yes, there ARE quite a few Muslims that have immigrated to the EU zone and will try to retain all their traditions from the homeland. First off, EVERY wave of immigrants from ANY part of the world tries to retain their traditions when they move to another country. Then, their kids end up growing up and are able to better get along with the people in the country they live in. The kids also lose the connection their parents have with the country they came from. Then even further down the line, the kids will have kids of their own who will be even FURTHER removed from the connection they had to that country.

Seriously, think back to your own ancestors. Did the ancestors that moved from whatever country your ancestors moved from just drop all their traditions and assimilate into the culture overnight or did it take close to a lifetime to do it and even THEN they still retained traditions from their homeland? Because that's how it worked with my ancestors. I'm two generations removed from my ancestors that immigrated here from poverty. I have next to no connection to those countries and I'm not living in extreme poverty.

originally posted by: marg6043
a reply to: Krazysh0t

Sorry to say this, but that sounds like a scam numbers, I guess people are forgetting the mass exodus of people invading the EU right now, guess what all that people are going to be living in poverty.

I see the poverty growing no getting any better.

Yep, the majority of refugees are on/will be on welfare or medical disability. They are un-trained, un-educated and the jobs aren't out there.

And here's one for the books:

Since the State Department does not keep data about numbers admitted by reason for admission, we can’t obtain exact numbers of those admitted on the basis of LBGTQI persecution, but one private refugee agency has set up an office in Nairobi, Kenya to assist intending LBGTQI refugees. This office also advises about how to get into the refugee pipeline. In other words, a private contractor is recruiting refugees who will eventually become the contractor’s profit-generating clients. At the 2012 conference of refugee contractors sponsored by the DHHS Office of Refugee resettlement a refugee contractor demanded that Medicaid pay for sex change operations if needed by newly arrived refugees.

refugeeresettlementwatch.wordpress.com...

a reply to: SuperFrog

Agreed. There ARE still problems out there that need solving by intelligent and willing people, but here's the thing playing kick the can only lasts so long. Eventually the problem rises up and smacks you in the face. It'll happen eventually with climate change.

a reply to: StoutBroux

So these refugees are unable to start their own businesses?