Goal 1 of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) was to halve extreme poverty by 2015 - a target that was achieved five years early. Fewer and fewer people are living on less than $1.25, and the likelihood of a child dying before the age of five has been reduced by half over the last two decades*.
But despite major progress, there is still a long way to go. As shown below, the MDGs have helped some parts of the world more than others. Only 63 countries have reached the hunger target set by the MDGs, which means that over 800 million people were still estimated to be under-nourished in 2014. With more ambitious goals and targets, the new sustainable development agenda aspires to "leave no one behind" in its mission to eradicate poverty in 2030.
*Figures reported by the UN Development Programme
