The World Bank says fewer people than ever before are living in extreme poverty, but the number still accounts for more than 10 percent of the world's population.
The bank released its annual report, based on data up to 2013. It says 767 million people were living on less than a dollar and 90 cents a day. The figure is down 13 percent from the previous year.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for half the world's extreme poor. The numbers of the wealthy and the middle class have increased along with economic growth, but income inequality has widened.
The World Bank and the UN have set a goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030. The bank will call on countries to step up efforts to combat poverty in its annual meeting starting Friday.
◆extreme 極度の
◆accounts for ～を占める
◆step up efforts to ～することに一層の努力を傾ける
◆combat ～と闘う、～に立ち向かう
