70% of the world's 1·4 billion people who are extremely poor live in rural areas. A new report released on April 27 by the UN International Labour Organisation (ILO), Global evidence on inequities in rural health protection: new data on rural deficits in health coverage for 174 countries, presents the first global, regional, and national data on the extent and major causes of rural–urban inequities in coverage, and access to health care. 56% of rural residents worldwide are without legal health coverage (defined as protected by legislation or affiliation with a health insurance scheme)—compared with 22% of the urban population.