The “Investments to End Poverty” report by Development Initiatives predicts that in the worst case scenario there might be 1 billion people living in extreme poverty by 2030. One.org argues that the policy response must include better data collection and analysis. This illustrates the importance of social science in both informing and responding to global poverty through research and practical policy support. One.org writes:

“The international community must pay greater attention to data, as it defines the next generation of development goals. Global poverty estimates still rely on outdated, patchy data. Approximately 25 percent of the data on the number of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa is derived from surveys conducted before 2005. Without better information, resources cannot be optimally allocated, progress cannot be properly followed, and lessons cannot be learned.”

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