Poverty is a devastating problem of global proportions. To be effective in fighting poverty, we need to understand the truth about it. These poverty facts shine some light onto the reality of poverty.

Poverty is a ruthless and relentless enemy with an arsenal of weapons: infant mortality, hunger, disease, illiteracy and child labor, among other things. The list of obstacles the poor most overcome seems endless. These poverty facts highlight the devastating effect poverty has on its victims, especially the most vulnerable.

• Based on the updated poverty line of $1.90 a day, World Bank projections suggest that global poverty may have reached 700 million, or 9.6 percent of global population, in 2015.
• Globally, 1.2 billion people (22 percent) live on less than $1.25 a day. Increasing the income poverty line to $2.50 a day raises the global income poverty rate to about 50 percent, or 2.7 billion people.
• Among the poor living on less than $1.25 per day, just under half have electricity.

On average, a child in our sponsorship program spends 3,000 hours in safe, nurturing programs, is at least 50 percent more likely to graduate college, is 14 to 18 percent more likely to have salaried employment and is 35 percent more likely to find white-collar employment as an adult.

• A third of all poor in the developing world are children 0–12 years.
• Indigenous peoples make up about 5 percent of the world’s population but for some 15 percent of the world’s poor.
• In developing countries (where 92 percent of children live) 7 in 100 will not survive beyond age 5.
• In developing countries nearly half of all mothers and newborns do not receive skilled care during and immediately after birth.
• Up to two thirds of newborn deaths can be prevented if known, effective health measures are provided at birth and during the first week of life.
• Every day, 800 women die from causes related to pregnancy, childbirth, or postpartum. Most maternal deaths occurred in developing countries.

• An estimated 289,000 maternal deaths occurred worldwide in 2013. Some 62 percent of these were in Sub-Saharan Africa.