Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Poverty is declining slowly and decent jobs are hard to find

Both the rate of poverty and the absolute number of poor in Africa declined during 1990–2008. Excluding North Africa, the rate of poverty in Africa fell from 56.5 per cent to 47.5 per cent, driven in part by strong economic growth of the past decade and a decline in the proportion of workers below the poverty line ($1.25 a day). Nevertheless, decent jobs are at a premium in Africa as the majority of jobs are in the informal sector, which generally has low incomes, low productivity and poor working conditions. Vulnerable employment accounts for some 70 per cent of employment growth – and is largely overrepresented by women.

Food price increases are a barrier to reducing malnutrition

The proportion of children under five who are malnourished in Africa (excluding North Africa) declined only marginally, between 1990 and 2009, despite a reduction in the poverty rate. Contributing to the sluggish decline was the continued escalation in food prices, which has invariably had an adverse impact, particularly on the food budgets of lower-income groups. Girls and rural dwellers are the most affected.