Despite a general improvement in living standards worldwide over the past thirty years, significant and entrenched inequalities have endured, manifesting between countries and within them. Urban and rural divides are particularly stark, highlighting the need for intensified efforts to eradicate poverty and ensure that everyone enjoys the means for a decent life. Even as economies have grown and technology has advanced, the promise of a decent standard of living remains unfulfilled for millions, suggesting that growth alone does not automatically translate to equitable well-being. Instead, these persistent gaps point to poverty’s complex and multifaceted nature—an issue that requires a far more nuanced approach than simply raising incomes.

A recent study published in Nature Communications underscores this complexity through an innovative lens. Drawing on data from households across 75 low- and middle-income countries, the study reveals that 94.9% of households fall short on at least one of ten fundamental living standards, with nearly two-thirds lacking in at least a third of these basic needs. Such numbers are much higher than those typically reported by conventional poverty measures, which rely on income thresholds alone. This discrepancy arises because the study employs the Decent Living Standards (DLS) framework developed by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Rather than measuring poverty solely by income, the DLS framework considers whether individuals can meet their essential physical and social needs—a broader and arguably more human-centred definition of poverty.

Roman Hoffmann, the lead author and head of the IIASA Migration and Sustainable Development Research Group, stresses the importance of this approach. “Income doesn’t tell us enough,” he asserts. “It’s about whether people can meet their basic needs. Deep and persistent inequalities become apparent when we look at who has access to essential services, resources, and infrastructure.” Unlike traditional poverty metrics, which typically condense deprivation into a single score, the DLS framework dissects it into ten dimensions of wellbeing. Seven are tied to physical needs—housing, nutrition, and sanitation—while the remaining three cover social participation, including access to education, mobility, and communication. This comprehensive framework recognises that lacking in these areas constitutes a fundamental shortfall in living a decent life.

The study’s findings reveal the areas in which deprivation is most acute. For example, 72.2% of households in the sample lack modern means of food preparation, a clear indicator of energy poverty. Access to healthcare is another critical area, with 68.0% of households unable to obtain basic medical services. Additionally, 54.8% of households live in inadequate housing, and 47.9% have no access to proper sanitation. These statistics are not simply abstract figures—they reflect the daily struggles millions face. Omkar Patange, a study’s co-author, likens poverty to a “web of constraints” that forces families into impossible choices, such as whether to pay for food, healthcare, or education. These trade-offs shape lives in profoundly negative ways, perpetuating cycles of disadvantage that are difficult to escape.

The regional differences are equally striking and speak to the global scale of these issues. In Sub-Saharan Africa, only 12% of households meet two-thirds of the DLS thresholds, compared to 37% in South Asia, 44% in Latin America and the Caribbean, and over 70% in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Despite some progress in certain countries, rural areas remain particularly disadvantaged, with the study finding that the rural-urban gap in living standards has barely shifted in three decades. Another study co-author, Caroline Zimm, says, “We were surprised that the rural-urban divide has not narrowed. We often assume that development automatically reaches everyone, but our data shows that’s far from the case.” The data also reveal how factors such as education, occupation, and household size intersect to shape patterns of deprivation, further emphasising the need for policies that tackle these inequalities at their roots.

The implications of this research extend far beyond academic discourse. The authors argue persuasively for a shift towards multidimensional poverty reduction strategies that prioritise income growth and sustainable and equitable access to essential goods and services. Furthermore, robust, household-level data collection cannot be overstated. Roman Hoffmann warns that cuts to survey funding could blind policymakers to the lived realities of poverty, ultimately hindering efforts to close these persistent gaps. Encouragingly, the study’s findings suggest that meeting decent living standards for all would require only a fraction of today’s global energy and material use, proving that the goal of eliminating poverty is compatible with the imperative of sustainability. Nonetheless, achieving this vision demands determined, well-resourced policy interventions that target the most marginalised communities—those whose right to a decent life has too often been overlooked or ignored.

More information: Roman Hoffmann et al, Subnational survey data reveal persistent gaps in living standards across 75 low and middle-income countries, Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60195-5

Journal information: Nature Communications Provided by International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis