World Bank reports slower progress on extreme poverty

Syrian war and population growth in parts of Africa hit drive to improve poverty rates

The war in Syria and a population surge in sub-Saharan Africa have undermined efforts to reduce the number of people living in extreme poverty, the World Bank has said.

In its annual report, the Washington-based development agency said the proportion of people living in such conditions had fallen to a new low of 10% in 2015 - the latest number available - down from 11% in 2013. It meant that the number of people living on less than $1.90 a day fell by 68 million to 736 million.

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