New Delhi, May 6 -- Africa faces challenges in reducing extreme poverty and inequality. In 2024, 8.5 per cent of the global population was living in extreme poverty (that is, on less than $2.15 a day). Nearly 67 per cent of these people were living in sub-Saharan Africa.

To tackle these significant issues of poverty and inequality, it is essential to identify the locations of the most impoverished individuals. This enables investments to focus on generating growth and productivity that are both inclusive of poor people and sustainable.

About 70 per cent of the poor in sub-Saharan Africa live in rural areas. Most (65 per cent to 70 per cent) are employed in agriculture. Agriculture also contributes 30 per cent-40 per cent to the gross d...