In Eswatini, the share of people living in deep poverty fell from nearly 39% to 8%

UNDP's 2026 Multidimensional Poverty Index update — covering 108 countries and 78% of the world's population — reports that 33 countries have at least halved their poverty-index value in fewer than 15 years, including six in sub-Saharan Africa. Eswatini's fall, from nearly 39% of people in multidimensional poverty to 8%, is among the most dramatic, and Egypt, Nepal and Tajikistan also cut both rates and numbers significantly. The pattern behind the progress is practical: health, schooling, clean water and electricity, tackled together.