The bank said three countries (India – 24%, Nigeria – 12%, DR Congo – 7%) with the highest shares of the world’s extremely poor are not projected to grow faster than their population, meaning that extreme poverty will remain at the elevated 2020 levels through 2021. Before the pandemic, extreme poverty – defined as living on $1.90 per day – had been decreasing. “With population growth rates of 2.6 percent, 1.0 percent and 3.1 percent, this is hardly enough for sustainable decreases in the poverty headcount,” the World Bank said in a blog. READ ALSO: Oshiomhole, Obaseki extend war to gov’s varsity certificateThe bank warned “South Asia may see a larger increase in the number of poor as a result of COVID-19,” particularly in India. Of the 176 million people expected to be pushed below the $3.20 per-day poverty line, two-thirds are in South Asia.

Source: Punch June 10, 2020 09:41 UTC