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What Would it Cost to End Extreme Poverty?

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  • Roshni Sahoo
  • Joshua Blumenstock
  • Paul Niehaus
  • Leo Selker
  • Stefan Wager

Abstract

We study poverty minimization via direct transfers, framing this as a statistical learning problem while retaining the information constraints faced by real-world programs. Using nationally representative household consumption surveys from 34 countries that together account for 76% of the world's poor, we estimate that reducing the poverty rate to 1% (from a baseline of 13%) would cost $211 B nominal per year. This is 4.0 times the corresponding reduction in the aggregate poverty gap, but only 19% of the cost of universal basic income. Extrapolated globally, the results imply a cost of 0.28% of global GDP to (approximately) end extreme poverty.

Suggested Citation

  • Roshni Sahoo & Joshua Blumenstock & Paul Niehaus & Leo Selker & Stefan Wager, 2026. "What Would it Cost to End Extreme Poverty?," Papers 2609.02013, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2609.02013
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