World Bank Highlights Progress in Poverty Data Collection Across MENA Region
In a significant step toward achieving accurate poverty measurement and meeting the goals of Sustainable Development Goal 1 (SDG1)—ending poverty in all its forms—the World Bank has spotlighted notable improvements in data coverage across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
The Bank emphasized the urgent need for timely, transparent, and comprehensive data to effectively track development progress, respond to crises, and implement informed policies. Without reliable data, the ability to design strategies that directly address poverty and inequality remains severely constrained.
According to the latest report, household survey coverage in MENA has seen a major recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. Coverage jumped from 29% before the pandemic to 67% by June 2025. This improvement marks a remarkable turnaround, as survey coverage in the region had plunged from over 90% in 2012 to just 48% in 2019—a decline worsened by the pandemic’s disruption to data collection efforts.
The World Bank shared a graph comparing MENA’s survey coverage to global trends, showing that while the rest of the world currently maintains a household survey coverage of around 78%, MENA is rapidly catching up. The chart also underscores how the pandemic created a gap in regional data, underlining the importance of resilient and adaptable data systems.
This leap forward in survey coverage is more than just a statistical milestone—it paves the way for better targeting of social programs, improved monitoring of living standards, and more accurate poverty assessments. It is also a foundational step in ensuring that marginalized populations are not left out of development efforts.
The Bank credits this progress to collaborative work between national governments, regional partners, and international development institutions. Continued investment in data infrastructure and regional capacity-building will be key to maintaining and further expanding these gains.
