At least 1.2 billion people are living in acute multidimensional poverty, the United Nations warned on Monday in a study highlighting Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Angola as the three most affected Portuguese-speaking countries.

According to the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, which considers not only income but also factors related to well-being, quality of life and access to opportunities, multidimensional poverty has increased for the first time since 2010, with more than half of those affected being children.

“The increase represents 51.5 million more people living in poverty in 2026 than in the previous year. Of the total 1.2 billion, 83% live in rural areas and more than half are children,” the UN said.

Among the Portuguese-speaking countries mentioned, “Mozambique has 38.8% of its population affected, Guinea-Bissau 35.9%, Angola 29.6%, Timor-Leste 17.4%, São Tomé and Príncipe 2.1%, and Brazil 0.9%,” the UN reported.

However, the UN cautioned that the data collected for Brazil, Timor-Leste, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé and Príncipe came from surveys conducted between 2014 and 2019. “The data for Mozambique and Angola are more recent, from surveys conducted between 2020 and 2025,” it said.

According to the report, Mozambique “faces high levels of structural deprivation. Brazil, meanwhile, maintains comparatively lower levels but continues to grapple with persistent inequalities”.

“São Tomé and Príncipe and Guinea-Bissau face serious structural challenges linked to geographical, climate-related and economic vulnerabilities. In Asia, Timor-Leste is dealing with the impacts of conflict, economic transition and the consolidation of basic infrastructure,” the UN added.

The report was produced by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It covers 78% of the world’s population, the UN explained.

“The 2026 Multidimensional Poverty Index used ten indicators covering areas such as health, education and living standards, across 108 countries in developing regions, representing 78% of the world’s population,” it concluded.