Has polio been eradicated?
As of 2025, polio (wild virus) is ≈40 cases (2025): −99.9% since 1988.
Why it changed
Vaccination narrowed endemic spread to two countries. That said, reaching zero means holding coverage — 2023 (12 cases) was a record low, then cases jumped to 99 in 2024 (Afghanistan and Pakistan) before easing back to 40 in 2025, still 3x above the 2023 low.
Source · WHO Polio IHR Emergency Committee (GPEI surveillance) WHO web content: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (until OWID republishes the series under CC-BY 4.0) Last reviewed 2026-07-06
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What is the source for this number?
WHO Polio IHR Emergency Committee (GPEI surveillance). Last reviewed 2026-07-06 — WHO web content: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (until OWID republishes the series under CC-BY 4.0).
How has this changed since 1988?
−99.9% since 1988. As of 2025, polio (wild virus) stands at ≈40 cases (2025).
What still isn’t solved?
Reaching zero means holding coverage — 2023 (12 cases) was a record low, then cases jumped to 99 in 2024 (Afghanistan and Pakistan) before easing back to 40 in 2025, still 3x above the 2023 low.