🔒 The global number of people living in poverty hits record low

By Felicity Duncan

According to the World Bank, the number of people living in extreme poverty around the world has fallen below 750 million for the first time since it began collecting data in 1990 – even as the earth’s population has grown.

All in all, the number of people in extreme poverty (defined as living on less than $1.90 a day) has fallen by a startling 1 billion in the last 25 years. While $1.90 a day is obviously a low threshold and 750 million is still a lot of people, it’s nevertheless a genuine victory.
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The fall has come largely on the back of rapid economic development in China and other East and South Asian economies, where poverty rates have plunged. The final bastion of extreme poverty that now remains is in Sub-Saharan Africa – the world’s poorest people are concentrated here today, partly because of rapid population growth. The fight continues, but it looks like we’re slowly but surely winning it.

In Premium today, you can listen to Alec Hogg dig into how the major new tariffs the US will impose on China may affect South Africa. You can read about how international investors are paying close attention to an apparent plot to oust Ramaphosa and you can learn how Amazon is starting to tackle Facebook and Google on their home turf.

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