Countries meeting this week at the United Nations in Bangkok will discuss innovative approaches to tackling the multiple forms of poverty that still plague more than 1 billion people in Asia and the Pacific.
The last three decades have shown significant progress in reducing the number of poor people across the region, as governments enacted various social schemes to help people escape poverty, improve their well-being and withstand economic uncertainties.
Yet, according to the newly released Social Outlook for Asia and the Pacific 2026: Eradicating Poverty and Empowering People, poverty extends beyond a lack of income to include multiple deprivations in education, health, nutrition, housing and access to essential services.
Under that criteria, more than 1.1 billion people lived in poverty across the region in 2026. Among them, 310 million live in extreme poverty. An additional 1.2 billion people are not poor but vulnerable to falling back into poverty. These figures underscore the scale of the challenge and the need to look beyond income when measuring people's well-being.
"The nature of poverty and vulnerability is evolving as climate change, demographic change, digital transformation and recurring economic shocks reshape who is poor, how people experience deprivation and their exposure to future risks," said Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The report was launched on the opening day of the ninth session of the Committee on Social Development in Bangkok, where ministers, senior policymakers and civil society representatives are gathering to explore policy options for eradicating poverty, expanding social protection and developing comprehensive care systems to build resilient societies.
Adapting to economic pressure, ageing population and climate impacts, countries across Asia and the Pacific recognize that care systems, universal and inclusive social protection are strategic investments to protect people, advance gender equality and support just transitions.
Examples of effective governments measures include universal health coverage; targeted policies and stronger public-private partnerships to create jobs for persons with disabilities; job training on renewable energy sources where fossil fuels are expensive and parental education, improved maternal nutrition and enhanced newborn healthcare to help reduce child stunting.
"The region is well positioned to lead this transformation by strengthening social protection and health care, aligning employment policies with demographic realities, expanding skills and labour market opportunities," said Alisjahbana.
The Committee is also expected to review progress, identify gaps and consider ways to accelerate action on key regional commitments, including the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, the Action Plan to Strengthen Regional Cooperation on Social Protection and the Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2023-2032).
