NO BAD NEWS
1.5 Billion Fewer People Live In Extreme Poverty Than In 1990
About 118,000 people have crossed above the extreme-poverty line every single day — for 35 years straight.
By the NoBadNews desk · Published 2026-07-07 · Updated 2026-07-08
Is extreme poverty actually falling?
Yes — the World Bank counts 1.5 billion fewer people in extreme poverty than in 1990: back then 43% of humanity lived below the line; today it's under 10%.
That works out to roughly 118,000 people per day rising out of extreme poverty for 35 years. And it isn't just China: exclude China entirely and the rate still fell from 33% to 12%. Progress has slowed since 2015, and most people still below the line live in sub-Saharan Africa and conflict-affected states — so it's not solved. But it may be the largest under-reported success story of our lifetime.
Source: World Bank · Image: AI illustration of real verified news (our method).
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