UN report urges social inclusion amid rapid global transformation

UNITED NATIONS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- A UN report released on Thursday called for greater social inclusion as rapid economic, digital and energy transformations risk leaving billions of people behind.

A United Nations flag is pictured at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, June 16, 2025. (Photo: Xinhua)

The World Social Report 2026, launched by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, warned that billions of people still lack access to the jobs, skills, services and protections needed to benefit from these changes.

Despite progress in income, education, health and access to services, significant gaps persist. In 2025, 58 percent of workers worldwide were informally employed, 27 percent of young women aged 15 to 24 were neither employed nor in education or training, and 26 percent of the global population lacked internet access.

Income inequality also rose in more than 50 countries between 2000 and 2024, including 23 high-income countries, according to the report.

The report warned that these disparities undermine productivity and resilience, while unequal access to digital technologies and artificial intelligence skills could further widen gaps in education, income and economic opportunity.

It estimated that delaying investment in social protection by 10 years could cost countries 12 percent of their economic output compared with those that invest early.

To ensure that the benefits of transformation are widely shared, the report outlined four priorities: building people's capacity to adapt, connecting everyone to the new economy, making labor markets work for people, and promoting shared prosperity.

In a video message marking the report's launch, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said social inclusion was not only a moral imperative but also an economic necessity, stressing that inclusive societies are more productive, resilient and prosperous.

"Transformations are inevitable. Inequality and exclusion are not," he said. "Let's work together to ensure that the profound transformations reshaping our world help build societies rooted in justice, dignity and opportunity for all."