No Poverty: A Global Promise, Gaps, and the Way Forward

Poverty has long been one of humanity’s most persistent challenges, standing at the heart of global inequalities and crises. In 2015, world leaders promulgated a bold vision with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), whose objective is the eradication of extreme poverty by 2030. SDG #1: No Poverty is an ambitious declaration of humanity’s shared desire for a world where no one is left behind. But in 2024, with less than six years to go until the SDG deadline, where do we stand? While progress has been made, glaring inequalities, financial shortfalls, and recent global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, threaten to derail this goal. What comes next? Is there an alternative way forward?

This article will explore the promise and the shortfalls of SDG #1. We’ll examine the global disparities in poverty reduction efforts and explore alternative worldviews like Ubuntu, Degrowth, and Ecological Swaraj—philosophies that challenge traditional economic growth models and offer a more sustainable, inclusive way forward. We will also look at Buen Vivir, Gross National Happiness, and Amanah—frameworks that offer fresh perspectives on sustainability, equity, and inclusion.

The Promise of SDG #1: Global Progress on Eradicating Poverty

Extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15 per person per day at 2017 purchasing power parity, has been significantly reduced over the last few decades.? Through the concerted efforts of global authorities, policymakers, and lobbying groups, the number of people subsisting in abject poverty took a 26% fall from 36% in 1990 to just beneath 10% in 2015. However, this progress has not been uniform across the globe.

For high-income countries, extreme poverty has almost been eliminated. In contrast, low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of South Asia, have seen a much slower reduction. These disparities reflect deeper systemic inequalities in global wealth distribution, access to resources, and governance structures.

The UN SDGs 2023 report underscores that if current trends continue, only one-third of countries will halve their national poverty rates by 2030. This slow pace is particularly alarming for low-income and lower-middle-income countries, where extreme poverty remains entrenched. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these challenges, plunging an estimated 120 million more people into poverty during 2020 alone. Social protection systems, a key tool for addressing poverty, were found wanting during the pandemic, exposing the fragility of global progress on SDG #1.

Gaps in SDG #1 Implementation: Uneven Progress Across Income Groups

While extreme poverty has been reduced globally, disparities across income groups remain glaring. A closer look reveals that high-income countries, buoyed by strong economies and well-established social protection systems, have made significant strides. In contrast, lower-middle-income and low-income countries struggle to implement effective poverty reduction strategies.

Social Protection Gaps

Social protection systems—cash transfers, pensions, child benefits—are crucial for lifting people out of poverty. However, the 2020 data reveals stark gaps in coverage:

Only 47% of the global population is covered by at least one social protection benefit.

Only 23.2% of older persons in low-income countries receive social protection benefits, compared to 77.5% in high-income countries.

Only 1 in 10 children in low-income nations receives any form of social protection benefit.

These figures highlight the urgent need to strengthen social protection systems, particularly in developing regions. The pandemic further demonstrated that universal social protection is not only a human right but also a safeguard against economic shocks. Yet, many countries lack the resources or political will to extend these safety nets to all.

Government Spending on Essential Services

Progress on poverty reduction also hinges on investments in education, health, and social protection. Between 2015 and 2021, government spending on essential services globally increased from 47% to 53% of total expenditures. However, this figure masks deep divides:

In advanced economies, such spending reached 62%.

In emerging and developing economies, it was only 44%.

Social protection spending, a critical element in reducing poverty, shows the widest gap: it is 17 percentage points higher in advanced economies compared to emerging ones. This disparity underscores the need for a global financial and policy framework that supports lower-income countries in building robust social protection systems.

The Disaster Paradox: Fewer Deaths, More People Affected

While poverty often correlates with vulnerability to disasters, the past decade has seen a paradoxical trend: more people are affected by disasters, but fewer are dying. If the UN's 2023 SDG Report is to be believed, fatalities and missing persons attributable to disasters per 100,000 population nosedived from 1.64 (2005-2015) to 0.86 (2012-2021). However, during this same period, the number of people affected by disasters rose from 1,198 to 2,113 per 100,000 population.

This increase in disaster-affected populations disproportionately impacts the world’s poorest. Countries with fewer resources—Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)—suffer higher mortality and long-term economic damage due to inadequate infrastructure and social services.

For these vulnerable nations, resilience against disasters must be a core component of poverty eradication strategies. Without addressing this growing disaster vulnerability, the world risks undoing decades of progress on SDG #1.

Alternative Worldviews for Poverty Alleviation and Sustainability

While the SDGs present a broad framework for development, alternative worldviews offer more culturally rooted, community-driven approaches to sustainable poverty alleviation. The following philosophies challenge the dominant economic growth model that underpins the SDGs:

Ubuntu: Interconnectedness and Shared Prosperity

At the heart of Ubuntu lies the belief in interconnectedness—the idea that one’s humanity is tied to the well-being of others. This African philosophy emphasizes collective action, social justice, and equitable resource distribution. Applying Ubuntu to poverty alleviation would mean focusing less on individual wealth and more on community well-being.

By fostering social cohesion and inclusive governance, Ubuntu provides a framework for addressing poverty that aligns with both economic and non-economic dimensions of human well-being. The emphasis on mutual support networks resonates particularly in Africa, where traditional safety nets have long been part of the social fabric.

Ecological Swaraj: Sustainable Self-Reliance

Ecological Swaraj, an Indian philosophy rooted in the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi, advocates for self-reliance and sustainable living. It challenges the consumerism and industrial growth models that have contributed to poverty and environmental degradation. Ecological Swaraj emphasizes local economies, community participation, and the idea that solutions must come from the people themselves.

This philosophy is particularly relevant to developing countries, where reliance on external aid or foreign investments often leads to unsustainable development patterns. By fostering local empowerment and sustainable livelihoods, Ecological Swaraj offers a pathway to poverty eradication that respects both cultural traditions and planetary boundaries.

Degrowth: A Shift Away from Economic Expansion

Degrowth is an emerging concept in global development discourse, advocating for a deliberate reduction in consumption and production. It challenges the assumption that continuous economic growth is the key to solving poverty and other global challenges. Instead, Degrowth argues that less is more: humans can live fulfilling lives with fewer material possessions, thereby reducing environmental impact.

The Degrowth movement encourages countries to adopt circular economic models, where resources are reused and recycled rather than depleted. For poverty reduction, this means shifting away from growth-focused strategies that often leave the poor behind and toward more equitable resource distribution.

Buen Vivir: The Collective Well-Being Approach

The concept of Buen Vivir (meaning "good living"), originating from Latin America, postulates that living in harmony with nature and one another is a more sustainable solution. It rejects materialism and the relentless pursuit of economic growth. Instead, Buen Vivir promotes a balance between human well-being, community, and the environment.

By adopting Buen Vivir, countries can reframe poverty alleviation not as a matter of economic growth but as creating a just society where resources are shared equitably and people live in harmony with the environment.

Gross National Happiness (GNH): Redefining Progress

In Bhutan, Gross National Happiness (GNH) is used as a measure of a nation's success instead of GDP. GNH prioritizes spiritual well-being, cultural preservation, and environmental conservation as pillars of a healthy society. In terms of poverty alleviation, GNH teaches that economic growth alone cannot guarantee happiness or well-being; instead, it focuses on social equity, mental health, and sustainable development.

Countries looking to adopt holistic approaches to poverty alleviation can learn from GNH's balance of economic, spiritual, and environmental progress.

Amanah: Stewardship and Responsibility

From the Middle East, the concept of Amanah is centered on the philosophy that humanity has a sacred stewardship responsibility towards the earth. Amanah emphasizes sustainability, fairness, and justice, all of which are key to poverty eradication efforts. By adopting Amanah, nations can promote governance systems that prioritize equity, shared resources, and environmental sustainability.

The Road Ahead: Rethinking Development for the Global South

While the SDGs are an unprecedented global framework, their implementation has not yielded the desired results for many parts of the Global South. The focus on economic growth as the primary means of development has led to environmental degradation and deepened social inequalities in regions like Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

By revisiting ancient worldviews like Ubuntu and Swaraj, and adopting emerging concepts like Degrowth, Buen Vivir, GNH, and Amanah, we can begin to envision development pathways that prioritize equity, social justice, and sustainability over unbridled economic growth. These alternative frameworks call for more localized, inclusive decision-making, where communities take ownership of their futures.

However, embracing these alternatives requires not only political will but also financial investment. Governments, civil society, and international organizations must allocate sufficient resources to implement these models, ensuring that they are not just theoretical but practical solutions to global poverty and inequality.

Conclusion: A Collective Responsibility

As we approach the 2030 deadline for the SDGs, it’s clear that SDG #1—No Poverty—remains one of the most challenging goals to achieve. While progress has been made, the gaps in implementation and the inequalities across income groups demand urgent attention.

To truly eradicate poverty, we must rethink our approach. Alternative frameworks like Ubuntu, Buen Vivir, GNH, Amanah, Ecological Swaraj, and Degrowth provide valuable insights into how we can shift toward more inclusive, sustainable development. The time for action is now—and it is a responsibility that must be shared by individuals, communities, governments, and global institutions alike.

Together, we can forge a path toward a world where poverty is not just reduced but eradicated—a world where prosperity is shared, and our planet is protected for future generations.

Let's continue the conversation! Share your thoughts on these alternative frameworks, and join the movement toward a more sustainable, equitable world. Follow me for more insights into global development and sustainability, and let’s work together to make SDG #1 a reality for all.