Survey of 104 countries says 1.3 billion live in poverty

CAMEROON, Cameroon – A survey of 104 countries comprising 5.5 billion people that looked at health, education and living standards has found that some 1.3 billion people are living in poverty — including 662 million children.

The Multidimensional Poverty Index released Thursday by the U.N. Development Program and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative says 46 per cent of the 1.3 billion are considered to be severely impoverished.

The index considered such things as nutrition, child mortality, schooling, cooking fuel, sanitation, safe drinking water, housing and assets. People judged to be deprived for one-third of the indicators are considered “multi-dimensionally poor.” Those deprived in half are rated severely poor.