Poverty is both caused by and contributes to the problem known as a ‘fragile state.’ In a report on fragile states by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, the OECD says:
By 2015, half of the world’s people living on less than USD 1.25 a day will be in fragile states. While poverty has decreased globally, progress on Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 1 is slower in fragile states than in other developing countries. Fragile states are also off-track to meet the rest of the MDGs by 2015.
Below is a map from the report that identifies where most of the world’s poor will be living. China has made stunning progress in reducing poverty, while India has also made significant strides. Much of Africa, on the other hand, has not experienced comparable improvement.
