“As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world, none of us can truly rest.” — Nelson Mandela
POVERTY is frequently cited as a cause of growing extremism, but proving it is not as easy as portrayed. While Pakistan’s ranking on the Human Development Index (HDI) and poverty index confirms that poverty is a contributing factor, internal strife and socioeconomic polarisation are also significant drivers. Poor states often attribute extremism to poverty and religious misinterpretation, but by focusing solely on these two factors, they may be avoiding the need to address the demand for fair distribution of resources, as well as ethnic, sectarian, sociocultural, economic and political issues.
According to the IMF’s World Economic Outlook 2024, Burkina Faso is ranked 16th among the world’s poorest countries and ranks first on the Global Terrorism Index. Pakistan is the 50th poorest country and ranks second on the GTI. Syria and Afghanistan rank high but have unstable political conditions, making economic assessment difficult. Mali (15th poorest) ranks fourth on the GTI; Niger (sixth poorest) is fifth; Nigeria (46th poorest) is sixth; Somalia (11th poorest) is seventh. Israel, ranked 157th among poor countries, is eighth on the GTI, while Cameroon (40th poorest) ranks 10th. These rankings show a mixed picture. In some cases, there is a direct link between poverty and extremism, while in others — such as Israel — it is historical and expansionist designs that drive extremism.
The 2025 Human Development Index underlines this link. Burkina Faso ranks 186th out of 193 countries and is first in the GTI. Pakistan is 168th in HDI, and second in GTI. Syria is 162nd and third, Mali is 188th and fourth, Niger is 187th and fifth, Nigeria is 164th and sixth, and Somalia is 192nd and seventh. Israel, by contrast, ranks 27th in HDI and eighth in GTI, Afghanistan ranks 181st and ninth, while Cameroon is 155th and 10th. This suggests that, with the exception of Israel, the top 10 GTI countries fall between 155 and 192 in HDI rankings, which indicates a strong correlation between low development and terrorism.
Poverty is not the only factor behind violence.
Adult literacy rankings show a similar trend. Except for Israel (86th), the top GTI-listed countries fall between 110 and 162 on adult literacy indices. This demonstrates the need to increase allocations in education.
In practice, militant groups exploit poverty for recruitment, offering money, food, or a sense of purpose. When poverty is compounded by poor governance and ideological appeals, such areas become fertile for extremism. States must ensure school education and skill development to attract young talent instead of leaving them vulnerable and unskilled.
According to the World Bank’s global poverty threshold of $4.20 per person per day, around 44.7 per cent of Pakistan’s population now lives below the poverty line. The Bank defines poverty as the inability to meet minimum living standards. Besides ideological reasons, poverty directly or indirectly fuels crime, violence and terrorism. Recruitment patterns of militant groups in Africa and parts of Asia confirm that poverty is a prime driver, especially when people are told their natural resources are being plundered by the elite. This sense of grievance can lead to violent resentment.
Unemployment, coupled with poverty and emotional manipulation, plays into the hands of extremist organisations. Yet, these groups don’t only attract the uneducated. Many also require educated talent well-versed in technology. A study by Charles Russell and Bowman Miller of over 350 militants from Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East (1966 to 1970) found that two-thirds were graduates. If poverty alone caused terrorism, billions would have turned to violence, yet the reality is otherwise.
Indeed, some of the poorest countries — Sudan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo and Mozambique — are not in the top 10 in the GTI. Ideology, identity crises, authoritarianism, lack of political freedom and human rights abuses, foreign occupation, drone strikes, online radicalisation, and perceived historical injustices also fuel extremism.
Efforts to reduce poverty and improve education, healthcare, and governance, youth employment programmes, community engagement, transparency, accountability and public services can reduce the appeal of extremist groups. Promotion of literacy and civic education can be instrumental in the prevention of extremism as it will enable individuals to critically assess extremist narratives and explore economic opportunities. Community-based literacy programmes may also include and promote human rights, tolerance, and conflict resolution, enabling individuals to challenge extremist ideologies through dialogue.
The writer is author of Pakistan: In Between Extremism and Peace.
X: @alibabakhel
Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2025