A new study predicts that rising energy costs that have followed in the wake of Russia's war with Ukraine could push millions of people around the globe into extreme poverty.
In a joint research effort between the United States, China, the UK and Netherlands, the study from the journal Nature Energy assessed the impact of the war and found that energy prices have jumped 4.8 percent with the surge in the cost of coal and natural gas directly linked to Russia's invasion.
Low income-communities that were already facing issues like food insecurity are now at even greater risk of falling into extreme poverty, with countries like Poland and the Czech Republic, facing greater hardships with their economies heavily dependent on energy resources like coal.
In the U.S., consumers spent 14.3 percent more on energy last year than they did in 2021. Electricity prices alone rose 11.9 percent over the 12 months ending in January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The study estimates that 141 million people around the world are at risk of falling into extreme poverty as costs continue to rise.
"Unaffordable costs of energy and other necessities would push vulnerable populations into energy poverty and even extreme poverty. Understanding how global energy prices are transmitted to households through global supply chains and how they are affected is crucial for effective and equitable policy design," the researchers wrote.
Fox News, the former employer of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, has joined a near-unanimous outpouring of news organizations rejecting new rules for journalists based in the Pentagon.
Motley Fool’s Bill Mann unpacks October 10th's market chaos, what triggered it, and where smart investors should look next. Don’t miss his expert insight!
Skift airline reporter Meghna Maharishi breaks down how the government shutdown is hitting air traffic control—and what it means for travelers and flight safety
Aya Kantorovich, Co-CEO of August Digital, breaks down Bitcoin’s surge, crypto ETFs, institutional investment trends, and the future of safer crypto access.
Most members of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate setting committee supported further reductions to its key interest rate this year, minutes from last month’s meeting showed.
