New York, 17 October 2025 – Nearly 8 in 10 people living in multidimensional poverty – 887 million out of 1.1 billion globally – are directly exposed to climate hazards such as extreme heat, flooding, drought, or air pollution, according to a new report released today by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at the University of Oxford.

The 2025 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report “Overlapping Hardships: Poverty and Climate Hazards”, released ahead of the COP30 climate summit in Brazil, presents new evidence that the climate crisis is reshaping global poverty. By overlaying climate hazard data with multidimensional poverty data for the first time, the findings reveal a world where poverty is not just a standalone socio-economic issue but one that is deeply interlinked with planetary pressures and instability.

Exposure to climate hazards likely exacerbates the daily challenges faced by people living in poverty, reinforcing and deepening their disadvantages. The report finds that an overwhelming 651 million poor people endure two or more climate hazards, while 309 million face three or four hazards simultaneously.

“Our new research shows that to address global poverty and create a more stable world for everyone, we must confront the climate risks endangering nearly 900 million poor people,” said Haoliang Xu, UNDP Acting Administrator. 
  
The Burden of Concurrent Poverty and Climate Hazards
The findings emphasize that poor people globally are often confronting multiple, concurrent environmental challenges rather than a single one in isolation.
• Of the 887 million poor people exposed to at least one climate hazard, 651 million face two or more concurrent hazards.
• Alarmingly, 309 million poor people live in regions exposed to three or four overlapping climate hazards while experiencing acute multidimensional poverty. These individuals face a "triple or quadruple burden," often possessing limited assets and minimal access to social protection systems, amplifying the negative effects of the shocks.
• Individually, the most widespread hazards affecting poor people globally are high heat (608 million) and air pollution (577 million). Flood-prone regions are home to 465 million poor people, while 207 million live in areas affected by drought.

Lower middle-income countries’ poor populations are most exposed to climate hazards, both in terms of absolute number and high proportion. About 548 million poor people in lower-middle-income countries are estimated to be exposed to at least one climate hazard, representing 61.8% of global poor people who are exposed to any climate hazard. Critically, over 470 million poor people in lower-middle-income countries confront two or more, concurrent climate hazards simultaneously.

“Viet Nam, as a lower-middle-income country, has recently experienced severe typhoons such as Bualoi and Matmo - a stark reminder that climate risks disproportionately affect vulnerable communities and threaten hard-won development gains,” said Ramla Khalidi, UNDP Resident Representative in Viet Nam. “The report’s findings suggest that frequent extreme weather events may create new forms of vulnerabilities and poverty. They reinforce the urgency of integrating poverty reduction and climate resilience into a unified policy agenda in Viet Nam, where impact from climate change is expected to be severe.” 

UNDP remains committed to supporting Viet Nam in strengthening local adaptive capacities and advancing climate-resilient, inclusive development. It underscores that confronting the climate risks endangering nearly 900 million poor people is essential to eradicate global poverty and create a more stable and sustainable world for all.

Media Contacts
For more information or to request an interview, contact:
In New York: Stanislav Saling, stanislav.saling@undp.org
In Oxford: Maya Evans, maya.evans@qeh.ox.ac.uk

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About UNDP: UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and the planet. Learn more at undp.org or follow on social media at @UNDP.

About OPHI: The Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) is a research centre based in the University of Oxford working on the multidimensional measurement of poverty and wellbeing to help guide effective policymaking around the world.