UNITED NATIONS, 20 October 2026 — A new report from the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs warns that billions of people remain excluded from the jobs, skills, services, infrastructure and protections needed to benefit from rapid global change.
The World Social Report 2026: The New Economics of Social Inclusion — Making Transformations Work for All argues that social inclusion should be treated as an investment rather than as a cost that can be postponed.
The report examines how economic restructuring, digital technology and the shift towards greener energy are reshaping societies. These changes create opportunities, but without fair access they can also deepen existing inequalities and leave vulnerable groups further behind.
Its figures underline the scale of the challenge: in 2025, 58 per cent of workers worldwide were informally employed, while 27 per cent of young women aged 15 to 24 were not in employment, education or training.
The report also states that 26 per cent of the world’s population still lacked internet access in 2025. More than 50 countries experienced rising income inequality between 2000 and 2024, including 23 high-income countries.
UN DESA warns that exclusion can undermine productivity, weaken resilience and make communities less able to adapt to technological disruption, climate pressures and geopolitical fragmentation. Policies that expand skills, meaningful participation and access to essential services can help societies share the gains from change more widely.
The report calls on governments to place inclusion at the centre of economic and social policy instead of addressing it only after disruption has occurred. Its message is that transformations are inevitable, but exclusion is not an unavoidable outcome.
References: UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, World Social Report 2026: official publication page; United Nations press release, 15 October 2026: “As societies transform, people are falling behind”. Image credit: Adwitiya Pal / Unsplash; illustrative image.