WORLD (Enmaeya News) - December 26, 2025

The United Nations warned on December 23 that rising inequality threatens global development and poverty reduction, highlighting Sustainable Development Goal 10 as the UN’s Goal of the Month for December 2025.

According to the UN, before the pandemic, the incomes of the poorest 40% were growing faster than the national average in most countries. New evidence suggests COVID-19 may have disrupted this trend, slowing progress.

The global refugee population has reached 37.8 million, increasing pressure on humanitarian systems. Reports of discrimination are also rising, especially for women, urban residents, people with disabilities, and the poor.

One in five people worldwide reported facing discrimination in the past year, with the highest rates in least developed countries.

Numbers show the scale of the challenge. The global refugee ratio is 460 per 100,000 people, more than double the 2015 level and three times that of 2005.

In 2024, 57% of working-age people were employed, meaning labor income affects 3.6 billion workers and their families. People with disabilities face higher discrimination rates than people without disabilities.

Reducing inequality will require extra support for vulnerable groups, protecting labor income, combating discrimination, and structural reforms in developing and emerging economies.