World's 85 richest earn more than 3.5 billion poorest: UN

 

The 85 richest people in the world have as much wealth as the 3.5 billion poorest people, the United Nations said Thursday in a report that highlights the 1.2 billion people who live on less than $1.25 a day.

The UN’s annual Human Development Report notes that overall poverty is declining throughout the world, but says worsening inequality risks reversing the trend to improvements in life span and income.

'If you invest in people, if you upgrade your infrastructure and increase the choices available to all, you will have a more stable society.'- Khalid Malik, author of UN report

Among the nations considered to have very poor human development are Niger, Congo, Mali, Haiti and Nepal.

Nearly one-third of people are poor or vulnerable to poverty, meaning they are not resilient in the face of natural or human-induced disasters and can slip further behind, according to the report.

Top 10 on the UN Human Development Index

1. Norway
2. Australia
3. Switzerland
4. Netherlands
5. United States
6. Germany
7. New Zealand
8. ​Canada
9. Singapore
10. Denmark

Bottom 10 on the list

1. Mozambique
2. Guinea
3. Burundi
4. Burkino Faso
5. Eritrea
6. Sierra Leone
7. Chad
8. Central African Republic
9. Democratic Republic of Congo
10. Niger