Populorum progressio is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI on the topic of "the development of peoples" and that the economy of the world should serve mankind and not just the few.

It touches on a variety of principles of Catholic social teaching such as the right to a just wage; the right to security of employment; the right to fair and reasonable working conditions; the right to join a union; and the universal destination of resources and goods.

"[1]Twenty years later, Pope John Paul II issued another encyclical, Sollicitudo rei socialis, in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Populorum progressio.

The organisation takes its name from this document and is based on Catholic Social Teachings (CST) espoused in the encyclical.

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI published the encyclical Caritas in Veritate, which addressed many of the themes discussed in Populorum progressio.