2025-10-17

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – October 17, 2025

On 17 October, we mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty – a day for reflection, commitment and action. Eradicating poverty in all its forms is fundamental to sustainable development and one of the greatest global challenges of our time. It is also the first goal of the 2030 Agenda.

Poverty is about dignity, justice and belonging

Eradicating poverty is not just about economic resources, but about dignity, justice and belonging. Poverty encompasses the lack of freedom, influence, health, education and security – fundamental conditions for a dignified life.

Since 1990, extreme poverty in the world has been halved, but progress has been negatively affected by factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts.

How is achieving Goal 1 of Agenda 2030 going?

The first global goal in the 2030 Agenda – Zero Poverty – aims to completely eradicate extreme poverty by 2030.
Despite progress in previous decades, recent UN reports show that progress has stalled. If current trends continue, 8.9% of the world's population is expected to live in extreme poverty by 2030.

The UN notes that the goal of completely eradicating poverty by 2030 will not be achieved without significantly stronger and more coordinated efforts globally. 

This year's theme for eradicating poverty

This year's UN theme – “Stop social and institutional abuse by ensuring respect and effective support for families” – highlights the need to protect the dignity and rights of families.

Families living in poverty are often stigmatized and punished in places that should offer help: schools, healthcare and social services. Single parents, indigenous peoples and historically discriminated groups testify to how judgmental structures and control mechanisms undermine trust and self-determination. In some cases, this leads to poverty-driven family separation, with long-term emotional and social consequences.

To change course, this year's theme emphasizes three important shifts:

• From control to care: Design support interventions that are built on trust. Reduce punitive conditions and focus on respectful, person-centered encounters.
• From monitoring to support:
  Reallocate resources to family-strengthening services – such as income support, childcare, housing, mental health and justice.
• From top-down to co-created solutions:
  Involve families living in poverty at all levels of decision-making – from planning to implementation – so that policies reflect real needs.

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty | United Nations