Poverty: Our increasingly connected world can present huge opportunities to the poorest people. Extreme poverty has declined dramatically in almost every region over the past several decades. Yet progress is uneven and extreme poverty has persisted in places, mainly Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Globalization exposes vulnerable populations to new risks that can be difficult to protect against. Economic shocks – fluctuations in the price of commodities and inputs; trade pressure; the international financial crises – these have catastrophic effects on people who are already vulnerable.