In 1990, about half of the population in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia and two-thirds in East Asia and the Pacific were living in extreme poverty, according to the World Bank.
However, in the three decades that followed, these three regions have followed quite different development paths.
By 2019, more than one-third of the population in sub-Saharan Africa were estimated to be living in extreme poverty, compared to 9 percent in South Asia and just 1 percent in East Asia and the Pacific.
These results illustrate that, states the World Bank, “extreme poverty has decreased at a slow pace in sub-Saharan Africa.”
In April 2025, the World Bank reported that “one is six people live in sub-Saharan Africa, but it accounts for two-thirds of global extreme poverty.”
Specifically, while sub-Saharan Africa is home to 16 percent of the global population – but 67 percent are living below the International Poverty Line of $3 per day.
For many, that means struggling to afford nutritious food, not being able to afford basic healthcare, safe sanitation, or electricity.
Bread and Water for Africa® works in several sub-Saharan African countries where the extreme poverty rates far exceed 50 percent and a few just below including: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (85 percent), Malawi (75 percent), Zambia (71), Uganda (60 percent) and Zimbabwe and Kenya at 49 percent and 47 percent, respectively, according to 2025 World Bank figures.
That means that “basic needs” for tens of millions in sub-Saharan African countries – adequate access to nutritious foods, clean, safe water and healthcare are “unaffordable luxuries.”
Regarding food security, nearly one-third of the population faces food insecurity made worse by drought which has caused a hunger crisis in countries including Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Throughout the region, nearly 40 percent of the population lacks access to clean water – even in water-rich areas.
And the health impacts – malnutrition, poor sanitation and limited access to clean water tragically contribute to high child and maternal mortality rates, resulting in the world’s highest maternal mortality rate and half of all under-five deaths globally, according to the World Bank.
Specifically, high rates of death are linked to a lack of skilled birth attendants, inadequate prenatal and postnatal care and poor access to emergency obstetric services.
But thanks to the supporters of Bread and Water for Africa®, we are working to address all of these issues by providing these basic needs to tens of thousands of people every year throughout sub-Saharan Africa through our agriculture and food self-sufficiency, healthcare, and WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) programs.
We will continue to empower families in Africa through food, water, health, education, and more to restore hope and dignity.
