The third session of the Committee on Social Policy, Poverty and Gender will discuss the Division’s vision, perspective and areas of focus in support of African countries, to accelerate progress on eradicating extreme poverty and reducing inequality, and achieve inclusive growth and sustainable development.
Globally, there has been extraordinary progress in reducing extreme poverty since the 1990s. Nearly 1.2 billion people were lifted out of extreme poverty, as poverty declined from 35.9 per cent in 1990 to 10 per cent in 2015. Much of the progress came from East and South-east Asia, with China’s economic rise responsible for most of the decline in poverty. More recently, South Asia has made impressive inroads against extreme poverty, helping to reduce the global rate further.