Don't Panic - How to End Poverty in 15 Years

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0:00:08 > 0:00:11A war that seems to have no end.

0:00:12 > 0:00:16An enemy that feels unbeatable.

0:00:16 > 0:00:18Extreme poverty.

0:00:18 > 0:00:21- BUSH:- 'More than half the people of the world are living in conditions

0:00:21 > 0:00:23'approaching misery.'

0:00:23 > 0:00:25We've had endless campaigning...

0:00:25 > 0:00:27- MANDELA:- 'They're trapped in the prison of poverty.'

0:00:27 > 0:00:30..a tidal wave of appalling images.

0:00:30 > 0:00:33- MICHAEL BUERK:- 'This place is the closest thing to hell on Earth.'

0:00:33 > 0:00:34..decades of aid.

0:00:34 > 0:00:37REPORT ON POVERTY IN FRENCH

0:00:37 > 0:00:41But such poverty still seems an inevitable condition.

0:00:42 > 0:00:47"We have not, we'll always be that way," so many believe.

0:00:47 > 0:00:52This world, for them, never to be in an arena of opportunity,

0:00:52 > 0:00:55but only ever a place of misery.

0:01:01 > 0:01:06I think that that view of our world is wrong.

0:01:06 > 0:01:09My name is Hans Rosling. I'm a scientist.

0:01:09 > 0:01:12I deal in facts not rhetoric.

0:01:12 > 0:01:15But just which one of those two are at the heart of this?

0:01:15 > 0:01:18This September, 2015,

0:01:18 > 0:01:23almost all the leaders of the 193 member states,

0:01:23 > 0:01:26are flying to the United Nations in New York

0:01:26 > 0:01:28to sign up for this document.

0:01:28 > 0:01:33And, inside, it's nothing less than United Nations' goal

0:01:33 > 0:01:36for the world for the next 15 years.

0:01:36 > 0:01:42And on top of the list, Goal number 1.1 and I read directly,

0:01:42 > 0:01:47"By 2030, eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere."

0:01:49 > 0:01:54"For all people"? "Everywhere"? "Eradicate"?

0:01:54 > 0:01:59In just 15 years? But...

0:01:59 > 0:02:03Each of these dots that you can now see on our planet,

0:02:03 > 0:02:05they represent ten million people.

0:02:05 > 0:02:08That's more than the population of New York City.

0:02:08 > 0:02:11And so many dots with ten million each

0:02:11 > 0:02:14and all live in extreme poverty.

0:02:14 > 0:02:17Have the United Nations gone mad?

0:02:17 > 0:02:21Or are they just mouthing empty words?

0:02:21 > 0:02:24Or maybe in just 15 years from now,

0:02:24 > 0:02:28we'll be holding the greatest goal celebration ever.

0:02:41 > 0:02:43Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

0:02:43 > 0:02:46I think we'll start with a little quiz.

0:02:54 > 0:02:57I'm going to ask you three questions about the world,

0:02:57 > 0:03:00because I want to know about how much you know about poverty

0:03:00 > 0:03:05and how much you understand of the size of the challenge that is ahead.

0:03:05 > 0:03:07So, let's now go for the first question.

0:03:09 > 0:03:13How many people out of ten in the world as a whole,

0:03:13 > 0:03:14have electricity at home?

0:03:14 > 0:03:18Is it one out of ten? That's 10%.

0:03:18 > 0:03:22Is it two, three, four, five? Five means 50%, half of them.

0:03:22 > 0:03:25Or is it six, seven, eight, nine?

0:03:25 > 0:03:28I'll give you one little hint, it's not ten.

0:03:28 > 0:03:30It's not everyone.

0:03:31 > 0:03:34So, out of the others, please answer.

0:03:36 > 0:03:39You see, basic infrastructure, like electricity,

0:03:39 > 0:03:42is so important in ending extreme poverty.

0:03:44 > 0:03:48OK. So, we can move onto the next question.

0:03:48 > 0:03:51And that question is about health service. Look.

0:03:54 > 0:03:57How many children out of ten in the world as a whole,

0:03:57 > 0:04:00have got vaccinated against measles?

0:04:05 > 0:04:08Measles is a deadly disease for malnourished children,

0:04:08 > 0:04:11but many in the rich countries don't know that.

0:04:13 > 0:04:17Thank you very much. My third question is about education.

0:04:20 > 0:04:22In the world as a whole,

0:04:22 > 0:04:25how many girls out of ten go to primary school?

0:04:25 > 0:04:28That is girl in that age group. Please answer.

0:04:31 > 0:04:36Research convincingly shows that education is crucial to end

0:04:36 > 0:04:38extreme poverty, especially for girls.

0:04:43 > 0:04:47Here we have all of you. Thank you very much.

0:04:47 > 0:04:52So, what did you answer? And what were the right answers?

0:04:52 > 0:04:54For that, I'm sorry, you will have to wait.

0:04:56 > 0:04:59But I hope that this quiz got you thinking.

0:04:59 > 0:05:02What do we mean when we talk about poverty?

0:05:02 > 0:05:05Because it seems everyone has their own idea.

0:05:07 > 0:05:09When we're at home, nobody knows that we're poor.

0:05:14 > 0:05:19We're poor. We don't know if we can go to university.

0:05:19 > 0:05:22- TRANSLATION:- 'We're so poor. We became homeless.'

0:05:22 > 0:05:26"I'm so poor now. I'm living on cornflakes," says Craig.

0:05:26 > 0:05:29We are poor, but we're not poor what we were ten years ago.

0:05:29 > 0:05:32I'm poor. I'm the breadline.

0:05:37 > 0:05:41It's tricky, isn't it? People are poor in so many ways.

0:05:41 > 0:05:43But look at this.

0:05:43 > 0:05:46This is... I call it my yardstick of income.

0:05:46 > 0:05:49The poorest people in the world,

0:05:49 > 0:05:51they live down here

0:05:51 > 0:05:52on one dollar a day, more or less.

0:05:52 > 0:05:58If you go to the middle, we find incomes of about ten dollars a day.

0:05:58 > 0:06:02Everyone in the world lives somewhere on this line.

0:06:02 > 0:06:05And I, I'm a professor in a relatively rich country,

0:06:05 > 0:06:10so my income is up on this nice end of the line, you know.

0:06:10 > 0:06:14People like me, they earn about a 100 dollars a day.

0:06:14 > 0:06:17And some earn even more because there is no end of this line.

0:06:17 > 0:06:19It just continues like this.

0:06:19 > 0:06:23Now, I come from beautiful Sweden

0:06:23 > 0:06:27and this bubble can represent the ten million people in Sweden.

0:06:27 > 0:06:32So, the question is, where is Sweden on this income line?

0:06:32 > 0:06:35I will drop it down and show you.

0:06:35 > 0:06:38This is the average income in Sweden.

0:06:38 > 0:06:40But everyone doesn't have the same income.

0:06:40 > 0:06:43Some people earn less and some earn more.

0:06:43 > 0:06:48And the richest of Sweden, you know, they love to have really

0:06:48 > 0:06:52big boats and they drink very costly wines and they want to

0:06:52 > 0:06:54have their own horse to ride.

0:06:54 > 0:06:58But we also have poverty in Sweden and like other countries,

0:06:58 > 0:07:00we also have a poverty line.

0:07:00 > 0:07:04Now, to find that poverty line, what we do, is that we first look

0:07:04 > 0:07:08up the middle income, where half the people are that way and half,

0:07:08 > 0:07:11the less fortunate are that way.

0:07:11 > 0:07:13And then the poverty line is set here.

0:07:13 > 0:07:17A little less than half of the mid-income.

0:07:17 > 0:07:20Now, living in this end in Sweden is tough.

0:07:20 > 0:07:25People here can't fully participate in the Swedish society.

0:07:25 > 0:07:29And yet, we call this line "relative poverty".

0:07:29 > 0:07:32And the reason for that is that the line moves.

0:07:32 > 0:07:35When the mid income goes up in Sweden,

0:07:35 > 0:07:38then the relative poverty follows.

0:07:38 > 0:07:40It really measures inequality.

0:07:41 > 0:07:46Now, I'm going to show you a completely different type of poverty,

0:07:46 > 0:07:47which is down here.

0:07:47 > 0:07:51Just a little more than one dollar. It's called "extreme poverty".

0:07:51 > 0:07:54The exact position depends on the value of the dollar.

0:07:54 > 0:07:58But the meaning here is clear and this doesn't change.

0:07:58 > 0:08:02This is about the daily struggle to get enough to eat.

0:08:02 > 0:08:05It's about survival and you can't live further down there,

0:08:05 > 0:08:07because then, you die.

0:08:07 > 0:08:10Now, let me show you Malawi.

0:08:10 > 0:08:13Malawi is a country, one of the poorest in the world,

0:08:13 > 0:08:16which has about the same size of the population as Sweden.

0:08:16 > 0:08:18It's in south-east Africa.

0:08:18 > 0:08:21And now, I take down Malawi on this income line.

0:08:21 > 0:08:24This is the average income of Malawi and when I spread it out,

0:08:24 > 0:08:26it's like this.

0:08:26 > 0:08:28What a difference!

0:08:28 > 0:08:33All most everyone in Malawi has less income than the poorest in Sweden.

0:08:33 > 0:08:36And, you know, I love Malawi.

0:08:36 > 0:08:43It's a peaceful, beautiful country with hard-working, very kind people.

0:08:43 > 0:08:46Its nickname is the Warm Heart of Africa.

0:08:46 > 0:08:51But yet, most people in Malawi live here in extreme poverty.

0:08:51 > 0:08:53What does that mean for them day to day?

0:08:58 > 0:09:02This is the village of Ntchena Chena in the remote corner of the north.

0:09:02 > 0:09:05It's home to Dunster, Janet and their children.

0:09:07 > 0:09:11It's 5am. Janet is preparing breakfast.

0:09:28 > 0:09:31The couple have 11 children.

0:09:31 > 0:09:35The younger ones, four girls and three boys, still live at home.

0:10:07 > 0:10:12Near Dunster and Janet's house, is their small field of maize.

0:10:12 > 0:10:15They're entirely dependent on it for their daily food.

0:10:18 > 0:10:20Very soon, it'll be the time for the harvest.

0:10:20 > 0:10:22The lynchpin of the family economy.

0:10:22 > 0:10:26If the harvest is good, they may even have enough to sell a little.

0:10:28 > 0:10:33But most years, like for so many other poor farmers the world over,

0:10:33 > 0:10:36there will be a time when the food runs out.

0:10:36 > 0:10:38They call it the "hunger season".

0:11:37 > 0:11:40The children go to school half an hour's walk away.

0:11:40 > 0:11:43Primary education is free in Malawi.

0:11:43 > 0:11:48But Janet and Dunster struggle to pay for school uniforms and books.

0:11:51 > 0:11:57We're going to march, starting left, left, right.

0:11:57 > 0:12:01Left, right, left, right, left right, left, right, left, right.

0:12:01 > 0:12:03Stand right.

0:12:04 > 0:12:08There are no school meals here, so no food till home time.

0:12:12 > 0:12:14We are happy. Read it.

0:12:14 > 0:12:20- CHILDREN:- We are happy.

0:12:20 > 0:12:23Thank you very much. We are happy today.

0:12:24 > 0:12:29There are few jobs in the area and barely an economy to speak of.

0:12:29 > 0:12:33But Dunster and Janet keep grafting to raise whatever cash

0:12:33 > 0:12:36they can for their family.

0:12:36 > 0:12:39Dunster turns old bits of tin into pots

0:12:39 > 0:12:42and watering cans to sell to his neighbours.

0:12:43 > 0:12:47Then the cash he earns is invested in a venture of Janet's.

0:12:50 > 0:12:54So, today, the couple trek an hour and a half to the nearest shop.

0:12:54 > 0:12:56They're after oil and flour.

0:12:58 > 0:13:02With these provisions, Janet makes 100 doughnuts.

0:13:03 > 0:13:05She's the doughnut queen in her area.

0:13:13 > 0:13:18If she sells the entire batch, she will net enough profit to

0:13:18 > 0:13:21feed her family for three days during the hunger season.

0:13:22 > 0:13:25But her customers are too poor for her business

0:13:25 > 0:13:28to be anything other than occasion.

0:13:35 > 0:13:40At home, there's no running water or electrical supply.

0:13:40 > 0:13:43But Dunster makes the most of what he has.

0:14:13 > 0:14:17Once a week, Janet has to spread fresh mud on the floor

0:14:17 > 0:14:21and walls to keep their house from falling apart.

0:14:21 > 0:14:24But Dunster is determined to change that.

0:14:24 > 0:14:30He's building a new home with strong fired bricks he's made himself.

0:14:30 > 0:14:34Here, bedroom. Here, dining room.

0:14:34 > 0:14:36And bedroom.

0:14:36 > 0:14:39Bedroom. Sitting room.

0:14:39 > 0:14:42Then stores and then bedroom.

0:14:48 > 0:14:51It's taken Dunster two years to get this far.

0:14:51 > 0:14:56It will take him at least four years more to finish and even then,

0:14:56 > 0:14:59only if he can somehow earn the money for timber

0:14:59 > 0:15:02and iron sheets for the roof and cement for the floor.

0:15:15 > 0:15:20Dunster and Janet face such a struggle to get anywhere,

0:15:20 > 0:15:23but in spite of their problems, they really try to

0:15:23 > 0:15:26build their future brick by brick.

0:15:26 > 0:15:29Now, how does their life compare to with those who are rich?

0:15:31 > 0:15:34Welcome to Dollar Street.

0:15:34 > 0:15:38Imagine that all homes of the world lined up on one street, with

0:15:38 > 0:15:40those with lowest income on this side

0:15:40 > 0:15:44and then people with nicer and higher income all the way up here.

0:15:46 > 0:15:50My wife and I, we live somewhere here.

0:15:50 > 0:15:52This is our house.

0:15:52 > 0:15:56A cosy little redwood house that we Swedes love.

0:15:56 > 0:15:59And this is our living room.

0:16:00 > 0:16:04This is our kitchen and here is our bathroom. Quite nice, eh?

0:16:05 > 0:16:11It's so far to walk down this Dollar Street all the way down here

0:16:11 > 0:16:15to Janet and Dunster, who's there, in the other far end.

0:16:15 > 0:16:17This is their house.

0:16:17 > 0:16:21This is their sofa and their living room.

0:16:21 > 0:16:25This is their kitchen and this is their bathroom.

0:16:26 > 0:16:30I can really understand that they want to build a new house.

0:16:30 > 0:16:32At the Gapminder Foundation where I work,

0:16:32 > 0:16:36my colleagues are building Dollar Street to show

0:16:36 > 0:16:39the difference in living situations across the world.

0:16:39 > 0:16:43We're recording more than 100 different things in each home

0:16:43 > 0:16:48and we've been to almost 200 homes in more than 30 countries,

0:16:48 > 0:16:52from the poorest to the richest and the many in between.

0:16:52 > 0:16:56Let's use that to go and visit Dunster and Janet's neighbours.

0:16:57 > 0:17:01Now, neighbours that live in different parts of the world,

0:17:01 > 0:17:05but all on the same very modest income.

0:17:05 > 0:17:09Here are the Kabura family, farmers in Burundi.

0:17:09 > 0:17:13And this is the Chowdhury family in India.

0:17:13 > 0:17:16They're in west Bengal working picking coconuts.

0:17:16 > 0:17:20And here is Antonios family in Zimbabwe.

0:17:20 > 0:17:25And this is the Geenkais, farmers in Papua New Guinea.

0:17:25 > 0:17:27Now, these are their homes.

0:17:29 > 0:17:33They're all built by non-durable material.

0:17:33 > 0:17:35These are fragile walls.

0:17:35 > 0:17:39The roofs are made of grass or leaves.

0:17:39 > 0:17:44Now, many Swedes, they love to go on holidays to eco lodges.

0:17:45 > 0:17:50And these eco lodges are often built to look like these houses.

0:17:50 > 0:17:53Because people are sort of rich, they think this is charming.

0:17:53 > 0:17:55But don't be fooled.

0:17:55 > 0:17:59All these families would love to have a new house

0:17:59 > 0:18:02built of bricks with a tin roof.

0:18:02 > 0:18:04Now, look here.

0:18:04 > 0:18:06I'm lucky, you know, to have a bedroom

0:18:06 > 0:18:08that I only share with my wife.

0:18:10 > 0:18:14Here, people sleep on the floor, the floor, the floor, the floor.

0:18:14 > 0:18:18And the whole family sleeps together in the same room.

0:18:18 > 0:18:22And we asked these families, "What was their dream to buy next?"

0:18:22 > 0:18:25The Kaburas, they said, "We dream to buy a bed."

0:18:25 > 0:18:30And the Antonios, they said, "Oh, we hope to buy a blanket."

0:18:32 > 0:18:36This is what it's like when you have just enough to survive.

0:18:36 > 0:18:39Very difficult to buy much to make life more healthy,

0:18:39 > 0:18:42productive or comfortable.

0:18:43 > 0:18:46These Dollar Street neighbours live in different countries

0:18:46 > 0:18:49with different cultures.

0:18:49 > 0:18:51But they all have the same basic needs.

0:18:51 > 0:18:55And they completely lack almost all the same basic things.

0:18:57 > 0:19:01In such poverty, small things become so significant.

0:19:01 > 0:19:04At the poorest end of Dollar Street, only a few,

0:19:04 > 0:19:06like the Antonios from Zimbabwe,

0:19:06 > 0:19:10have enough cash to splash out on a real toothbrush,

0:19:10 > 0:19:13which everyone in the family now eagerly shares.

0:19:16 > 0:19:21So, know we've got a glimpse on how life is in extreme poverty.

0:19:21 > 0:19:23I hope you all agree on the importance

0:19:23 > 0:19:28of United Nations' Goal 1.1.

0:19:28 > 0:19:30But is that goal just a dream?

0:19:30 > 0:19:33Or is it any possibility to achieve it?

0:19:33 > 0:19:36Bring on my giant poverty tracker!

0:19:37 > 0:19:40We need to know how big the problem is.

0:19:40 > 0:19:43We need to know if it's getting worse or if it's getting better?

0:19:43 > 0:19:45Time to look at data.

0:19:45 > 0:19:49I'm going to build a graph for you with my bare hands.

0:19:50 > 0:19:54We Swedes are quite good at self-assembly furniture, huh?

0:19:57 > 0:20:02This shows the percent in extreme poverty in the world.

0:20:02 > 0:20:040%.

0:20:04 > 0:20:0550%.

0:20:05 > 0:20:07And 100%.

0:20:07 > 0:20:11And each up rise here represents ten years.

0:20:11 > 0:20:14Here we are at 1900,

0:20:14 > 0:20:16and this is where we are today.

0:20:16 > 0:20:21Now, I'm going to start all the way back 200 years ago.

0:20:21 > 0:20:23The time of Napoleon.

0:20:23 > 0:20:251800.

0:20:25 > 0:20:29What was the percentage of extreme poverty in the world, then?

0:20:30 > 0:20:31Staggering.

0:20:31 > 0:20:3285%.

0:20:33 > 0:20:36Only a few were out of extreme poverty.

0:20:36 > 0:20:39And then came the Industrial Revolution.

0:20:39 > 0:20:42And did it improve? Not much.

0:20:42 > 0:20:471850, it was just down here to 80%.

0:20:47 > 0:20:51And 1900, it came down to 70%.

0:20:53 > 0:20:57And then, further on to 1950.

0:20:57 > 0:21:00This is when I was born, just before.

0:21:00 > 0:21:01I was two years old here.

0:21:01 > 0:21:0355%.

0:21:03 > 0:21:09And we have to go all the way to 1970 to reach 50%.

0:21:09 > 0:21:12The year when half the world population

0:21:12 > 0:21:13was out of extreme poverty,

0:21:13 > 0:21:16and half were still in extreme poverty.

0:21:16 > 0:21:21And then only in my adult life has it started to drop a little faster.

0:21:21 > 0:21:26I stop here at 1990, when it was down to 35%.

0:21:27 > 0:21:31Now, this year is not the first time the United Nations put a target,

0:21:31 > 0:21:33a goal, for extreme poverty.

0:21:33 > 0:21:38The former goal was to halve the extreme poverty from 1990

0:21:38 > 0:21:41up to 2015, where we are now.

0:21:41 > 0:21:43Many people at that time said,

0:21:43 > 0:21:45"That's mad, that it will never work."

0:21:45 > 0:21:49So, it's very exciting for you now to learn,

0:21:49 > 0:21:51where is the last estimate?

0:21:51 > 0:21:54Where is 2015?

0:21:54 > 0:21:56And the estimate is...

0:21:56 > 0:21:59I have to put a special stick here.

0:22:00 > 0:22:02It's here.

0:22:02 > 0:22:042015.

0:22:04 > 0:22:06This is where we are now.

0:22:06 > 0:22:10And the estimate is 12.

0:22:10 > 0:22:1112.

0:22:11 > 0:22:14Let me show you this fantastic trend here.

0:22:15 > 0:22:17How it went down from...

0:22:19 > 0:22:22..85%, coming slowly down,

0:22:22 > 0:22:25a little faster down, and then down here.

0:22:26 > 0:22:28Was the goal achieved?

0:22:30 > 0:22:33Well, it's not easy to measure extreme poverty.

0:22:33 > 0:22:35There is an uncertainty,

0:22:35 > 0:22:39but there is no doubt that this trend is fast going down,

0:22:39 > 0:22:42and that the last goal was indeed achieved.

0:22:42 > 0:22:44However, I'm a statistician,

0:22:44 > 0:22:48and I know that, just because you see a trend like that,

0:22:48 > 0:22:51that doesn't mean that it will continue in the same direction.

0:22:51 > 0:22:56It may level off like this because the last lap is often the toughest.

0:22:57 > 0:22:58But, on the other hand,

0:22:58 > 0:23:02you can see that it's not impossible to achieve this new goal.

0:23:02 > 0:23:06To end extreme poverty altogether by 2030.

0:23:06 > 0:23:09It's quite an amazing change we have seen,

0:23:09 > 0:23:12and I want to show you this one more time.

0:23:12 > 0:23:16But then, I will use my fancy digital display here.

0:23:16 > 0:23:18Look here.

0:23:18 > 0:23:21This now is the poverty rate in the world, in percent.

0:23:21 > 0:23:24And I start again at 1800.

0:23:25 > 0:23:29Now, enjoy this amazing journey.

0:23:37 > 0:23:39So, everything is fine?

0:23:39 > 0:23:41This amazing fall in poverty?

0:23:42 > 0:23:44No, there's a catch.

0:23:46 > 0:23:50I know that some of you have already spotted it.

0:23:50 > 0:23:54This shows percent of people in poverty.

0:23:54 > 0:23:57It doesn't show number of people.

0:23:58 > 0:24:02Because, during this period, the world population has increased.

0:24:02 > 0:24:04So, I'm going to change this axis.

0:24:04 > 0:24:06I take it away,

0:24:06 > 0:24:10and I replace it with number of people, in billions.

0:24:10 > 0:24:12And, back in 1800,

0:24:12 > 0:24:15the world population was just one billion people.

0:24:15 > 0:24:18And then this happened with the world population,

0:24:18 > 0:24:19it started to increase

0:24:19 > 0:24:23and then it came up to two billion, three billion, up, up, up, up.

0:24:23 > 0:24:26Up to seven billion and a little beyond.

0:24:27 > 0:24:31So, what does that mean for these percentages in poverty we have?

0:24:31 > 0:24:34Well, back then in 1800,

0:24:34 > 0:24:3785% of one billion, that's more or less one billion.

0:24:39 > 0:24:42But here, in 1970,

0:24:42 > 0:24:46when we had 50% in poverty and four billion people.

0:24:46 > 0:24:49How many were then the number in poverty?

0:24:49 > 0:24:50Look at that trend.

0:24:52 > 0:24:54It was 50% of four.

0:24:54 > 0:24:55That's two billion.

0:24:55 > 0:24:58Never in human history

0:24:58 > 0:25:03had there been so many hungry people in the world as 1970.

0:25:03 > 0:25:05Because the population was growing faster

0:25:05 > 0:25:08than the poverty rate was going down.

0:25:09 > 0:25:11So, where are we today?

0:25:11 > 0:25:15With more than seven billion people and 12% in extreme poverty.

0:25:15 > 0:25:18Well, you can use your calculator if you want.

0:25:18 > 0:25:20This is what has happened.

0:25:22 > 0:25:2512% of seven is more or less one billion.

0:25:25 > 0:25:28This makes me very humble.

0:25:29 > 0:25:33It means that the one billion we have today in extreme poverty

0:25:33 > 0:25:36is more or less the same as we had 200 years ago.

0:25:36 > 0:25:40That means that the number of people in extreme poverty

0:25:40 > 0:25:43over this long historic time has not decreased,

0:25:43 > 0:25:47but from here on we have this strong trend

0:25:47 > 0:25:50when both percentage and number is coming down.

0:25:50 > 0:25:55So, to me, this indicates that it is indeed possible

0:25:55 > 0:25:56to continue down to zero.

0:25:56 > 0:25:59Now, you are lucky tonight,

0:25:59 > 0:26:03I will spoil you because I am going to show you this in one more way.

0:26:03 > 0:26:04Look here.

0:26:04 > 0:26:06I'm going to show you

0:26:06 > 0:26:10where extreme poverty has been and how it has decreased.

0:26:10 > 0:26:13This is the world, and here are the population

0:26:13 > 0:26:18back in 1800, in each of the regions, in total one billion.

0:26:18 > 0:26:20Here is the yard stick of income.

0:26:20 > 0:26:24I'm going to put down these people to show their incomes.

0:26:24 > 0:26:27First, Europe, and they spread out here.

0:26:27 > 0:26:29And then Americas on top of that.

0:26:29 > 0:26:34Then comes Africa, and on top of it the most populous region Asia,

0:26:34 > 0:26:35including Australia.

0:26:35 > 0:26:38And, as I've shown you before,

0:26:38 > 0:26:41almost all people there were living in extreme poverty.

0:26:41 > 0:26:43On all regions in the world.

0:26:43 > 0:26:47Now, I'm going to show you what has happened.

0:26:47 > 0:26:51I start the world and look, with Industrial Revolution

0:26:51 > 0:26:52the population grew here

0:26:52 > 0:26:54and the incomes expanded here,

0:26:54 > 0:26:56mainly because of increased income

0:26:56 > 0:26:58in Europe and America.

0:26:58 > 0:27:00And then, in the 20th century,

0:27:00 > 0:27:02the population continued to grow

0:27:02 > 0:27:04and incomes increased even more.

0:27:04 > 0:27:05And they changed

0:27:05 > 0:27:07the whole pattern of the world.

0:27:07 > 0:27:09It became a divided world.

0:27:09 > 0:27:11The world view you grew up with,

0:27:11 > 0:27:13with the rich West here,

0:27:13 > 0:27:15and with poor Africa and Asia here.

0:27:15 > 0:27:16But in the 1980s,

0:27:16 > 0:27:19the amazing growth of China

0:27:19 > 0:27:21and the other tiger economy in Asia and India,

0:27:21 > 0:27:24they start to get out of poverty. They close this gap

0:27:24 > 0:27:26and they are coming over this side.

0:27:26 > 0:27:28The shape of the world changed again.

0:27:28 > 0:27:30Look, now, Africa is following -

0:27:30 > 0:27:33I call them the lion economies of Africa.

0:27:33 > 0:27:37Here we are today, in a completely new shape of the world.

0:27:37 > 0:27:40For those of you who still think about the world

0:27:40 > 0:27:42as the rich and the poor,

0:27:42 > 0:27:45I'm going to give you a new concept.

0:27:45 > 0:27:47I'm going to give you a new term.

0:27:47 > 0:27:48"The middle".

0:27:50 > 0:27:54What we have to do is to look at those who recently came

0:27:54 > 0:27:56from extreme poverty and into the middle,

0:27:56 > 0:28:01to learn what it takes to go from here to there.

0:28:07 > 0:28:09Welcome to Cambodia,

0:28:09 > 0:28:11one of Asia's poorest countries.

0:28:11 > 0:28:16And to Thy, who farms a smallholding in a village

0:28:16 > 0:28:18in the centre of the country.

0:28:18 > 0:28:22THEY SPEAK IN KHMER

0:28:23 > 0:28:27Thy and his wife live with her dad

0:28:27 > 0:28:30and their three-year-old son.

0:28:38 > 0:28:40The family is about to get bigger.

0:28:40 > 0:28:43Thy's wife is heavily pregnant.

0:28:43 > 0:28:47In fact, the local midwife told her she's expecting twins.

0:28:51 > 0:28:54The family's living conditions are far from easy,

0:28:54 > 0:28:58but, unlike Malawi, there is no hunger season here.

0:29:00 > 0:29:02They have electricity.

0:29:05 > 0:29:06Though no gas for cooking.

0:29:08 > 0:29:09And though life's hard,

0:29:09 > 0:29:13there's time and money for her to pursue her hobby.

0:29:30 > 0:29:31Though still poor,

0:29:31 > 0:29:35the family have earned enough to buy some life-changing things.

0:29:38 > 0:29:43Last year, Thy managed to invest the equivalent of 300 dollars

0:29:43 > 0:29:44in a new water pump,

0:29:44 > 0:29:48so he no longer had to waste time at the public pump.

0:30:03 > 0:30:05Things are changing fast in Cambodia today.

0:30:05 > 0:30:07Just two hours away,

0:30:07 > 0:30:11the capital Phnom Penh is at the heart of an economic boom.

0:30:12 > 0:30:15New export industries - above all, textiles -

0:30:15 > 0:30:18are yielding very fast economic growth.

0:30:18 > 0:30:22And this transformation is reaching well into the countryside.

0:30:44 > 0:30:47With textile factories opening up nearby,

0:30:47 > 0:30:50many neighbours have began to prosper,

0:30:50 > 0:30:54moving away from agriculture into full-time employment.

0:30:54 > 0:30:56Thy is turning this to his advantage.

0:31:18 > 0:31:22Though Thy's farmland is similar in size to Dunster's in Malawi,

0:31:22 > 0:31:26what he's able to do with it couldn't be more different.

0:31:37 > 0:31:40Unlike Dunster, Thy can even afford to invest

0:31:40 > 0:31:43in what he needs to make his work more efficient.

0:32:07 > 0:32:11The couple are out of extreme poverty, but not far out,

0:32:11 > 0:32:14and they've had unexpected and troubling news.

0:32:28 > 0:32:33Unexpected medical costs often cause serious financial shocks

0:32:33 > 0:32:36for people just out of extreme poverty.

0:32:36 > 0:32:40With a possible Caesarean and many days in hospital to pay for,

0:32:40 > 0:32:45the family have had to borrow the equivalent of almost 500 dollars.

0:32:51 > 0:32:54All the family's assets - the pump,

0:32:54 > 0:32:56the bike, and even their land,

0:32:56 > 0:33:00might be in jeopardy, depending on what happens next.

0:33:02 > 0:33:06Such a big dent might even throw them right back

0:33:06 > 0:33:07into extreme poverty.

0:33:10 > 0:33:14Worrying times for Thy and his wife.

0:33:14 > 0:33:18A risky pregnancy, and a risk to be thrown back into extreme poverty

0:33:18 > 0:33:20if things go wrong.

0:33:21 > 0:33:23Let's head back to Dollar Street.

0:33:23 > 0:33:28The place where they live, you know, is not at the far poorest end,

0:33:28 > 0:33:31they are new arrivals to this big middle,

0:33:31 > 0:33:33where most of the people live.

0:33:33 > 0:33:36So, let's visit some of their neighbours,

0:33:36 > 0:33:38all having the same income,

0:33:38 > 0:33:42out of extreme poverty, but not much more.

0:33:43 > 0:33:47It's the Castillos from the slum in Manila in the Philippines.

0:33:47 > 0:33:51It is Iquira Collos from Columbia.

0:33:51 > 0:33:54And it is the Nshimyimanas from Rwanda.

0:33:54 > 0:33:59And also the Bishash family from Bangladesh.

0:33:59 > 0:34:01These are their houses.

0:34:01 > 0:34:03They are still poor,

0:34:03 > 0:34:06but there's a distinct difference between these houses

0:34:06 > 0:34:08and those in extreme poverty.

0:34:08 > 0:34:11They're of more durable material, there's bricks there

0:34:11 > 0:34:14and there's a roof with plastic and there's iron sheets.

0:34:14 > 0:34:18And this, you can see inside their home

0:34:18 > 0:34:21they have more things for a better life,

0:34:21 > 0:34:23a more healthy life, a more productive life.

0:34:23 > 0:34:25They have clean water in their house.

0:34:27 > 0:34:29They have bicycles and a little cart

0:34:29 > 0:34:32so that they can transport and carry things.

0:34:32 > 0:34:34Better beds with mattresses.

0:34:34 > 0:34:39And things to keep them informed and even entertain them in their homes.

0:34:39 > 0:34:44And, most importantly, they all have electricity,

0:34:44 > 0:34:47electricity, electricity, electricity.

0:34:47 > 0:34:52Now, it if you live in this richer end of Dollar Street,

0:34:52 > 0:34:56it is very easy to look down at people in the rest of the world,

0:34:56 > 0:34:59in the middle and the rest and say they are all equally poor.

0:34:59 > 0:35:04But, if you look carefully, you will see a completely different story.

0:35:14 > 0:35:19All across the middle, progress today is steady and very real.

0:35:22 > 0:35:24Step by step, lives are getting better.

0:35:27 > 0:35:29And in so many ways.

0:35:33 > 0:35:36Not just more stuff in people's homes

0:35:36 > 0:35:39but more opportunities for a fuller life.

0:35:45 > 0:35:50Ladies and gentlemen, this is the moment you have been waiting for.

0:35:50 > 0:35:52Time for the answers on the World Quiz.

0:35:54 > 0:35:56APPLAUSE

0:36:02 > 0:36:06Are you confident now? You will see how you have answered.

0:36:06 > 0:36:10Well, remember the first question. Here it is.

0:36:14 > 0:36:16These were your answers.

0:36:18 > 0:36:20Ah, very much spread out.

0:36:20 > 0:36:24But it seems that most was like four, 40%.

0:36:25 > 0:36:27Let's look at the right answer.

0:36:27 > 0:36:29It's eight.

0:36:29 > 0:36:33Little more than 80%. 40%, that was 1960.

0:36:35 > 0:36:38You are 50 years behind on average.

0:36:38 > 0:36:39Next question.

0:36:44 > 0:36:47These are your results.

0:36:47 > 0:36:49Once again, spread out

0:36:49 > 0:36:54and it seems that the most common answer here was 30% of children.

0:36:54 > 0:36:56The right answer is...

0:36:57 > 0:37:02..83% of the children of the world are vaccinated against measles.

0:37:02 > 0:37:04Now, let's look at the last one.

0:37:07 > 0:37:09Your answer was like this.

0:37:11 > 0:37:15Ah-ha! And once more it was like you think 40% of the girls.

0:37:15 > 0:37:18The right answer is...

0:37:18 > 0:37:2090% of girls go to school.

0:37:20 > 0:37:22Your answer is 60 years behind.

0:37:24 > 0:37:26Don't look too sad, you know?

0:37:26 > 0:37:29I put these type of questions to many audiences

0:37:29 > 0:37:33across the world and they are as out-dated as you are.

0:37:34 > 0:37:40You know, it's absolutely amazing how much life is improving

0:37:40 > 0:37:42for most people in the world, not only economically,

0:37:42 > 0:37:45but in so many different ways.

0:37:45 > 0:37:49I think this is the greatest story of our time.

0:37:49 > 0:37:54Or almost the greatest story of human history.

0:37:54 > 0:37:57And if you don't believe me, look at this.

0:37:57 > 0:38:01Here's my yard stick of income but I'm going to change it

0:38:01 > 0:38:03because I'm going to compare countries.

0:38:03 > 0:38:08So, I changed this one to GDP per capita.

0:38:08 > 0:38:11It's a fancy term for the income of countries.

0:38:11 > 0:38:15And it goes from 500 dollars per person,

0:38:15 > 0:38:205,000 dollars per person, up to 50,000 dollars per person a year.

0:38:20 > 0:38:23But money's nice but it's not the most important.

0:38:23 > 0:38:26We need a measure of human progress, also.

0:38:26 > 0:38:30And from my huge database, I think it's easy to choose.

0:38:30 > 0:38:34What I think is the best measure of human progress

0:38:34 > 0:38:38is to look at the fall of child mortality.

0:38:38 > 0:38:41Child mortality is the number of children that tragically die

0:38:41 > 0:38:43before the age of five.

0:38:43 > 0:38:44From 50% to 10%.

0:38:44 > 0:38:49Of course, we want it to go as close to zero as possible.

0:38:49 > 0:38:55Now, child mortality depends on so many things, not just health service.

0:38:55 > 0:38:59It depends on education, living conditions, how communities

0:38:59 > 0:39:03and governments protect and help those in need.

0:39:03 > 0:39:08So, child mortality measures all those aspects of human progress.

0:39:08 > 0:39:12So, let's now start in 1800.

0:39:12 > 0:39:14And here comes all the countries.

0:39:14 > 0:39:18First, Europe, each bubble is a country. Then Americas.

0:39:18 > 0:39:20And here, Africa.

0:39:20 > 0:39:22And now Asia.

0:39:22 > 0:39:25The size of these bubbles correspond to population,

0:39:25 > 0:39:29so the big ones up there is China and India.

0:39:29 > 0:39:35Now, in 1800, there was an appalling high child mortality in the world.

0:39:35 > 0:39:38Even the most powerful country at that time, the UK,

0:39:38 > 0:39:42had more than one child in three dying before the age of five.

0:39:43 > 0:39:45Now, let's see what happens.

0:39:45 > 0:39:48Let's see how countries got more money

0:39:48 > 0:39:51and how well they used that money.

0:39:51 > 0:39:54I start now the world. Here we go.

0:39:54 > 0:39:58The richest countries improved their economy and, with better hygiene,

0:39:58 > 0:40:01food and education, they lower child mortality.

0:40:01 > 0:40:05Then comes smallpox vaccination, industrially produced soap.

0:40:05 > 0:40:08It went down further and then, with further economic growth,

0:40:08 > 0:40:13they could improve living conditions and even start with social welfare.

0:40:13 > 0:40:15Now, ooh, that was the First World War.

0:40:15 > 0:40:18And after that the poorest countries start to move downwards here,

0:40:18 > 0:40:22slowly, slowly and that is the Second World War.

0:40:22 > 0:40:25Now, after that independence came to countries in Asia and Africa

0:40:25 > 0:40:29and, with that, more families got education, better water,

0:40:29 > 0:40:33sanitation, health service with new vaccines.

0:40:33 > 0:40:36And they got better seeds and, with roads, rural life improves.

0:40:36 > 0:40:38And here... Oh, that was the break down

0:40:38 > 0:40:40of the Soviet Union you saw there.

0:40:40 > 0:40:44And now all the girls, almost, in the world get education

0:40:44 > 0:40:48and women get more empowered and that presses down child mortality

0:40:48 > 0:40:50and increase economic growth.

0:40:50 > 0:40:53Here we are today. What an amazing change.

0:40:53 > 0:40:58Even the worst-off countries today have a lower child mortality

0:40:58 > 0:41:01than that of the best 200 years ago.

0:41:01 > 0:41:04But there is still huge difference between the countries.

0:41:04 > 0:41:06So, I zoom in to show you that.

0:41:08 > 0:41:13And, look, the worst off, poorest, war-torn African countries

0:41:13 > 0:41:17are up there but peaceful Malawi is down here.

0:41:17 > 0:41:19Now, these countries in the middle,

0:41:19 > 0:41:24they've had an amazing progress and Cambodia has reached already here.

0:41:24 > 0:41:27But remember Thy and his wife?

0:41:27 > 0:41:31They face the challenge of her twin delivery

0:41:31 > 0:41:36and they also risk an economic shock from the medical bill.

0:41:36 > 0:41:41So, how this young family now fares will be a test for their country

0:41:41 > 0:41:42and for the world at large.

0:41:50 > 0:41:52She has gone into labour

0:41:52 > 0:41:56and the couple waste no time in heading for the district hospital.

0:41:57 > 0:41:59Because one of the twins is upside down,

0:41:59 > 0:42:01the local health centre won't take her.

0:42:03 > 0:42:06Thy doesn't trust his own unreliable bike,

0:42:06 > 0:42:09so they've had to hire an expensive motorbike taxi.

0:42:10 > 0:42:14It's an hour's journey, almost four days' earnings

0:42:14 > 0:42:16but at least there's a hospital to go to.

0:42:18 > 0:42:19At the end of the '70s,

0:42:19 > 0:42:23Cambodia was emerging from the mass murder of Khmer Rouge

0:42:23 > 0:42:27and there were very few surviving doctors but, since then,

0:42:27 > 0:42:31more than 1,000 health centres and hospitals have been opened.

0:42:34 > 0:42:38It's 1am. Suddenly, Thy's wife is in full labour.

0:42:38 > 0:42:42The first twin is delivered naturally and the medical team

0:42:42 > 0:42:47is also able, very skilfully, to turn the second baby.

0:42:47 > 0:42:49There is no need to operate.

0:42:49 > 0:42:53She has given birth to two healthy boys.

0:43:26 > 0:43:29Although an expensive Caesarean is avoided,

0:43:29 > 0:43:32the family still face a costly hospital bill.

0:43:36 > 0:43:39But there's one chance for Thy to avoid the costs

0:43:39 > 0:43:41and pay back their debt.

0:43:41 > 0:43:45A government scheme known as the Poor Card picks up

0:43:45 > 0:43:49the medical bills and expenses for poorer Cambodians.

0:43:49 > 0:43:53But, to see if they qualify, Thy will first have some tough questioning.

0:44:33 > 0:44:38The questions are designed to assess just how poor the family really is.

0:44:38 > 0:44:39More than 19 points

0:44:39 > 0:44:44and they will have to pick up all their health-care bills themselves.

0:44:44 > 0:44:48To make sure the system isn't abused, inspectors will go

0:44:48 > 0:44:51to Thy's house and check that he's telling the truth.

0:45:08 > 0:45:13They score 17 points and just qualify for the Poor Card.

0:45:14 > 0:45:17They won't need to pay the hospital and, what's more,

0:45:17 > 0:45:20they'll get a daily allowance towards food and travel.

0:45:26 > 0:45:30When it's time to leave hospital, the Poor Card also covers

0:45:30 > 0:45:32the costs for the tuk-tuk ride home.

0:45:38 > 0:45:43One in ten Cambodians do still live in extreme poverty

0:45:43 > 0:45:45but this family won't be joining them.

0:45:52 > 0:45:55They've been able to repay the money they borrow.

0:45:55 > 0:45:56And with this Poor Card,

0:45:56 > 0:46:00they will all have free health care for at least the next five years,

0:46:00 > 0:46:03from Grandpa to the new twins, they are all listed.

0:46:19 > 0:46:24This basic welfare system has ensured that this happy event

0:46:24 > 0:46:27is not a financial catastrophe.

0:46:27 > 0:46:30The family will stay part of Cambodia's growing economy.

0:46:32 > 0:46:36Welcome to the world, Chantheoun and Chantha.

0:46:36 > 0:46:41But what's the lesson from Cambodia for the poorest countries?

0:46:41 > 0:46:45When these countries here in the middle develop so successfully,

0:46:45 > 0:46:50they both invested in human progress and grew their economy.

0:46:50 > 0:46:52But which came first?

0:46:52 > 0:46:55Chicken or egg? People or money?

0:46:55 > 0:46:57Let's look at the UK.

0:46:57 > 0:47:00In 1800, UK was here,

0:47:00 > 0:47:03and now, we run 200-year story.

0:47:03 > 0:47:06First, UK got wealthier,

0:47:06 > 0:47:08and then went a little healthier,

0:47:08 > 0:47:10and then more wealth and health.

0:47:10 > 0:47:12Now, I'm going to compare that

0:47:12 > 0:47:16with the mightiest of the emerging countries - China.

0:47:16 > 0:47:19When they came out from the Communist Revolution in 1950,

0:47:19 > 0:47:23they had more or less the same child mortality as the United Kingdom

0:47:23 > 0:47:25had 150 years earlier.

0:47:25 > 0:47:30And then, during Chairman Mao, there was both progress and horror.

0:47:30 > 0:47:33But then, they continued downwards with social progress

0:47:33 > 0:47:37and that kick-started this amazing economic growth

0:47:37 > 0:47:39that we have seen in China.

0:47:39 > 0:47:44Now, China reached the same low level of child mortality

0:47:44 > 0:47:47as UK had here, at the tenth of the economic level.

0:47:49 > 0:47:51But they did it with Communism.

0:47:51 > 0:47:54Let's go to a neighbouring country, South Korea,

0:47:54 > 0:47:57with a different political system.

0:47:57 > 0:48:00This is still the year of the Korean War.

0:48:00 > 0:48:02But after the war, Korea invested

0:48:02 > 0:48:04heavily in education and health

0:48:04 > 0:48:05and improved human development

0:48:05 > 0:48:08and then came this amazing economic growth

0:48:08 > 0:48:10that was even faster than China's.

0:48:10 > 0:48:13You see, this is the route that many countries in the world

0:48:13 > 0:48:17who are successful today are following. It's a smart short cut,

0:48:17 > 0:48:21where they first invest with very limited economic resources

0:48:21 > 0:48:23in human progress and then,

0:48:23 > 0:48:26they take off economically and go that way.

0:48:26 > 0:48:29Now, even in Africa, let me show you Ethiopia.

0:48:29 > 0:48:321950 up here, first decades

0:48:32 > 0:48:34of turmoil and even famine,

0:48:34 > 0:48:37and then from 1990 here, they take off

0:48:37 > 0:48:41with investments in human and now economic growth.

0:48:41 > 0:48:44So, what about poor Malawi? It has come down like this.

0:48:44 > 0:48:48Really successful in education and in health,

0:48:48 > 0:48:52and they have come down here, much better now than generations ago,

0:48:52 > 0:48:55but they are still waiting for the economic growth.

0:49:02 > 0:49:05In Malawi, harvest time has arrived.

0:49:30 > 0:49:31All the family get to work.

0:49:34 > 0:49:37But Dunster does not have high hopes.

0:49:37 > 0:49:41The rains are often irregular in this part of Malawi,

0:49:41 > 0:49:43and this year, they came at the wrong time.

0:49:45 > 0:49:49Even so, it's only now that the cobs are all taken off,

0:49:49 > 0:49:53that he can really tell how this year's harvest has done.

0:50:04 > 0:50:08With the harvest complete, Dunster, at last, can definitively measure

0:50:08 > 0:50:12how much food the family has and how long it will last.

0:50:32 > 0:50:35It wouldn't really take much to make poor farmers,

0:50:35 > 0:50:37like Dunster and Janet, far more productive,

0:50:37 > 0:50:41enough to lift them out of extreme poverty all together.

0:50:43 > 0:50:46So often, what's lacking is something straightforward.

0:50:48 > 0:50:50There's no shortage of water in the area.

0:50:50 > 0:50:52The problem is reliably getting it

0:50:52 > 0:50:55to the right place at the right time.

0:50:58 > 0:51:01A few miles away, on the far side of the village,

0:51:01 > 0:51:03there is a small irrigation system

0:51:03 > 0:51:05that diverts water from local streams.

0:51:07 > 0:51:11The farmers over there grow better maize as well as other crops.

0:51:11 > 0:51:15They've been able to turn their farms into real businesses.

0:51:17 > 0:51:20Near Dunster's house is a place

0:51:20 > 0:51:24where he believes a dam could create a stream-water reservoir

0:51:24 > 0:51:25for his side of the village.

0:51:41 > 0:51:45Small irrigation systems aren't too difficult to build,

0:51:45 > 0:51:49but they still need funding and agreement on management -

0:51:49 > 0:51:51both hard to come by.

0:51:51 > 0:51:55That's why Dunster is still at the mercy of the rains.

0:52:17 > 0:52:22What Dunster hopes for is not wildly unrealistic,

0:52:22 > 0:52:24but he'll need it to fulfil his dream.

0:52:55 > 0:52:57What a paradoxical situation.

0:52:57 > 0:53:01Janet and Dunster work so hard and get so little.

0:53:01 > 0:53:03What they need is a small dam.

0:53:04 > 0:53:07But who's going to pay for things like that?

0:53:07 > 0:53:13Commercial investments? Not likely for poor people in remote areas.

0:53:13 > 0:53:17Governments? The poorest countries are still too poor.

0:53:17 > 0:53:21So, let me tell you about the third main alternative.

0:53:21 > 0:53:22International aid.

0:53:24 > 0:53:29Here once more we show economic level and social progress.

0:53:29 > 0:53:32And we zoom in as we have seen before.

0:53:32 > 0:53:37And the richer countries, or those here in the middle, this group here.

0:53:37 > 0:53:41They still have some people remaining in extreme poverty,

0:53:41 > 0:53:44and they get about 300 in aid

0:53:44 > 0:53:48per person in extreme poverty.

0:53:48 > 0:53:51But I think they are rich enough to take care of their own poor people.

0:53:51 > 0:53:55In fact, some of these countries, China and Mexico,

0:53:55 > 0:53:58they are already generously GIVING aid to these ones.

0:53:58 > 0:53:59Why should they also get it?

0:53:59 > 0:54:03I think it's time to stop giving aid to these countries.

0:54:03 > 0:54:08Now, the next group here, who is the lower part of the middle group.

0:54:08 > 0:54:12Quite a sizable part of their population still in extreme poverty.

0:54:12 > 0:54:16They still get aid, also around 300

0:54:16 > 0:54:19per person in extreme poverty and they need aid.

0:54:19 > 0:54:21You saw, in Cambodia, how that Poverty Card

0:54:21 > 0:54:25really helped people from not falling back into extreme poverty.

0:54:25 > 0:54:28Now, the strange thing is here,

0:54:28 > 0:54:30the countries with the lowest income.

0:54:30 > 0:54:32They have the highest percentage

0:54:32 > 0:54:35of people in extreme poverty,

0:54:35 > 0:54:40but they only get 100 in aid per person in extreme poverty.

0:54:40 > 0:54:43The aid has to be much better focused,

0:54:43 > 0:54:46and it especially has to focus

0:54:46 > 0:54:50on the remotest areas, the remote corners of these countries,

0:54:50 > 0:54:53because that's where extreme poverty is.

0:54:53 > 0:54:56And yes, the governments in these countries

0:54:56 > 0:55:01also have to dramatically improve the way they provide services.

0:55:01 > 0:55:05But it's here the endgame will be against extreme poverty.

0:55:09 > 0:55:12Ending extreme poverty will transform the lives

0:55:12 > 0:55:13of a billion people.

0:55:15 > 0:55:20But this is not about charity, it is an investment in all of us.

0:55:20 > 0:55:26Extreme poverty helps fuel many dangerous long-running conflicts,

0:55:26 > 0:55:28ending it will bring peace.

0:55:30 > 0:55:33And what's more, wherever extreme poverty's ended,

0:55:33 > 0:55:36the poor of today will become the customers of tomorrow.

0:55:36 > 0:55:41And, I'm sure, the inventors and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, too.

0:55:46 > 0:55:49There is one last thing I must tell you.

0:55:49 > 0:55:52One reason why it's not only important

0:55:52 > 0:55:55to end extreme poverty, but it's also urgent.

0:55:55 > 0:55:57Population growth.

0:55:57 > 0:55:58Here are all the people again

0:55:58 > 0:56:03and I want to tell you about one profound effect

0:56:03 > 0:56:06of this big move out of extreme poverty.

0:56:06 > 0:56:09It's about the size of families,

0:56:09 > 0:56:10number of babies born per woman.

0:56:10 > 0:56:12Here, in extreme poverty,

0:56:12 > 0:56:15still today, there's on average,

0:56:15 > 0:56:17five children in the family.

0:56:17 > 0:56:19Five babies born per woman.

0:56:19 > 0:56:22Whereas those who are out of extreme poverty,

0:56:22 > 0:56:23the vast majority of the world,

0:56:23 > 0:56:25here the average today

0:56:25 > 0:56:29is two children in each family.

0:56:29 > 0:56:32Independent of culture and religion.

0:56:32 > 0:56:35And what does this mean for Goal 1.1?

0:56:36 > 0:56:40Well, it means that if only a part of these people

0:56:40 > 0:56:41get out of extreme poverty,

0:56:41 > 0:56:45those who remain will continue to have large families

0:56:45 > 0:56:48and poverty will reproduce itself.

0:56:49 > 0:56:52Now, it's very important that you don't misunderstand.

0:56:52 > 0:56:55I don't say that you end extreme poverty

0:56:55 > 0:56:59by telling these people to have fewer children.

0:56:59 > 0:57:00No, it's the other way round.

0:57:02 > 0:57:06If you help these people get out of extreme poverty,

0:57:06 > 0:57:10they will very soon, swiftly decide to have fewer children

0:57:10 > 0:57:12if they have access to contraceptives.

0:57:12 > 0:57:14It's the remarkable fact, you know,

0:57:14 > 0:57:20that explains why it is easier to end extreme poverty swiftly

0:57:20 > 0:57:23than to do it slowly.

0:57:23 > 0:57:27It will be easiest of all to end extreme poverty

0:57:27 > 0:57:29in less than one generation.

0:57:30 > 0:57:33You know, I wondered in the beginning

0:57:33 > 0:57:37if the United Nations were mad

0:57:37 > 0:57:41when they suggested that we should end extreme poverty in 15 years.

0:57:41 > 0:57:45In fact, it would be mad not to do it.

0:57:46 > 0:57:50I hope I've shown you that the right actions

0:57:50 > 0:57:54together with economic growth and targeted aid

0:57:54 > 0:57:57can end extreme poverty.

0:57:57 > 0:58:02We really can end that terrible poverty

0:58:02 > 0:58:07around the world that has been with humanity throughout history.

0:58:07 > 0:58:11We have seen so many being lifted out of extreme poverty...

0:58:12 > 0:58:16..and now, we can continue that and get the job done.

0:58:18 > 0:58:24Ending extreme poverty won't end the problems of the world.

0:58:24 > 0:58:28But, in comparison with other huge problems,

0:58:28 > 0:58:31like climate change and war,

0:58:31 > 0:58:35this one, to me, seems easy.

0:58:35 > 0:58:38So, Goal 1.1, let's do it.

0:58:38 > 0:58:40APPLAUSE

0:58:43 > 0:58:45To test your own assumptions about world poverty

0:58:45 > 0:58:48and explore the issues behind the numbers, go to...

0:58:51 > 0:58:52..where you will find links

0:58:52 > 0:58:56to the Open University's free learning website Open Learn.

0:58:56 > 0:58:58You'll also find links to Gapminder

0:58:58 > 0:59:01where you can explore all the data and its sources.