Key Takeaways
- In 2019, approximately 689 million people worldwide lived in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $1.90 per day (2011 PPP), representing about 9.2% of the global population
- The global extreme poverty rate fell from 36% in 1990 to 8.5% in 2022 when measured at $2.15 per day (2017 PPP), lifting over 1.2 billion people out of poverty
- Between 2015 and 2019, global poverty reduction slowed, with only 47 million people escaping extreme poverty annually, compared to 112 million per year from 2000-2015
- In 2022, Nigeria had 87 million people in poverty, the highest nationally, representing 40% of its population living below the national poverty line
- Sub-Saharan Africa's extreme poverty rate was 35% in 2022, with 436 million people affected at $2.15/day line
- In South Africa, 55.5% of the population lived below the upper-bound poverty line of R1,558 per person per month in 2023
- In 2022, India's extreme poverty rate was 2.3% at $2.15/day, but 16.4% at $3.65/day, affecting 228 million
- Bangladesh reduced poverty from 44.2% in 2000 to 14.8% in 2022 at national line, lifting 33 million out
- In Pakistan, 39.4% lived below national poverty line in 2022-23, up from 24.3% due to floods
- In 2022, Brazil's extreme poverty affected 9.5% or 20 million people below R$218/month line
- Mexico's poverty rate was 36.3% in 2022, with 46.8 million poor, multidimensional 43.9%
- Argentina's poverty reached 40.1% in first half 2023, affecting 18 million amid inflation
- In US, 11.5% of population or 37.9 million lived in poverty in 2022 per official measure
- In Canada, poverty rate was 6.4% in 2022 using Market Basket Measure, affecting 2.4 million
- UK poverty rate 22.4% in 2022/23, 14.4 million people, including 4.2 million children
Global extreme poverty has greatly declined yet remains severe, with climate and conflict threatening progress.
African Poverty Statistics
- In 2022, Nigeria had 87 million people in poverty, the highest nationally, representing 40% of its population living below the national poverty line
- Sub-Saharan Africa's extreme poverty rate was 35% in 2022, with 436 million people affected at $2.15/day line
- In South Africa, 55.5% of the population lived below the upper-bound poverty line of R1,558 per person per month in 2023
- Ethiopia's poverty rate decreased from 44.4% in 2000 to 23.5% in 2020, but drought risks 10 million more into poverty
- In Kenya, 34% of the population was multidimensionally poor in 2022, with 53% of rural households poor
- DR Congo had 74.4% poverty rate in 2023, with 67 million in extreme poverty, highest in absolute terms in Africa
- In Egypt, poverty rate rose to 29.7% in 2021 from 27.8% in 2019 due to COVID-19, affecting 30.6 million
- Madagascar's extreme poverty rate was 75.8% in 2022, with 20.5 million poor, worsened by cyclones and food crises
- In Ghana, poverty fell from 52.6% in 1992 to 23.4% in 2022, but urban poverty rose to 10.6%
- Mozambique's poverty rate was 63.5% in 2022 at national line, with 18.9 million poor amid insurgency
- In Tanzania, multidimensional poverty affected 24.6% in 2022, down from 28.5% in 2018
- Uganda's poverty rate was 20.3% in 2019/20, with 8.7 million poor, but inequality high at Gini 42.7
- In Sudan, conflict pushed poverty to 50.5% in 2023, affecting 25.6 million
- Zambia's poverty rate increased to 54.4% in 2022 from 50.8% in 2015 due to debt crisis
- In Rwanda, extreme poverty dropped to 13.5% in 2017 from 38.2% in 2006, via Vision 2020 programs
- Malawi's 71% of population lived below $2.15/day in 2022, with 13.5 million poor
- In Niger, 45.4% extreme poverty rate in 2021, affecting 10.6 million, highest child poverty at 80%
- Burkina Faso saw poverty rise to 40.1% in 2021 amid jihadist violence
- In Senegal, poverty rate was 37.5% in 2022 at national line, urban 28.8%, rural 47.3%
- Sierra Leone's poverty incidence was 53.3% in 2018/19, with multidimensional at 72.7%
- In Cote d'Ivoire, poverty fell to 37.5% in 2022 from 44% in 2015
- Somalia's poverty rate estimated at 73% in 2022, with 11.7 million multidimensionally poor
- In Cameroon, 23.4% lived below $2.15/day in 2020, but conflict areas higher at 40%
- Lesotho's poverty rate was 49.7% in 2022, with 1.1 million poor, Gini 44.9
- In Central African Republic, 71% extreme poverty in 2018, affecting 3.5 million
- Liberia's poverty rate stood at 50.9% in 2022, down slightly from 52.9% in 2016
African Poverty Statistics Interpretation
Asian Poverty Statistics
- In 2022, India's extreme poverty rate was 2.3% at $2.15/day, but 16.4% at $3.65/day, affecting 228 million
- Bangladesh reduced poverty from 44.2% in 2000 to 14.8% in 2022 at national line, lifting 33 million out
- In Pakistan, 39.4% lived below national poverty line in 2022-23, up from 24.3% due to floods
- Indonesia's poverty rate was 9.36% in 2023, affecting 25.9 million, down from 11.1% in 2020
- Philippines had 18.1% poverty incidence in 2023, with 19.7 million poor families
- In Vietnam, extreme poverty fell to 1.52% in 2022 from 58% in 1993
- Nepal's poverty rate was 15.1% in 2022-23 at national line, multidimensional 17.4%
- In Afghanistan, 85% of population below poverty line in 2023 due to Taliban takeover and drought
- Myanmar's poverty rate surged to 49.7% in 2023 from 24.8% pre-coup, affecting 25 million
- In China, extreme poverty was eradicated by 2020, with rural poverty down to 0.6%
- Cambodia's poverty rate was 16.5% in 2022 at $2.15/day, down from 47.8% in 2007
- Laos PDR had 18.3% extreme poverty in 2022, with rural 22.1%
- In Sri Lanka, poverty jumped to 25% in 2022 amid economic crisis, from 11.3% in 2019
- Timor's poverty rate was 41.8% in 2022, affecting 530,000 people
- Mongolia's poverty rate fell to 27.8% in 2022 from 36.2% in 2016
- In Uzbekistan, poverty was 11% in 2022 at national line, down from 17.4%
- Tajikistan had 26.1% poverty rate in 2022, with remittances key at 25% GDP
- Kyrgyzstan's multidimensional poverty affected 20.3% in 2022
- In Bhutan, poverty declined to 8.2% in 2022 from 12.4% in 2017
- Maldives saw poverty rise to 13.2% in 2022 post-COVID
- In North Korea, estimated 60% in poverty in 2023 due to sanctions and isolation
- Iran's poverty rate hit 30% in 2023 amid inflation over 40%
- In Yemen, 77% lived in poverty in 2022, conflict-driven
- Syria's poverty rate was 82.5% in 2023, affecting 15.3 million
Asian Poverty Statistics Interpretation
Global Poverty Statistics
- In 2019, approximately 689 million people worldwide lived in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $1.90 per day (2011 PPP), representing about 9.2% of the global population
- The global extreme poverty rate fell from 36% in 1990 to 8.5% in 2022 when measured at $2.15 per day (2017 PPP), lifting over 1.2 billion people out of poverty
- Between 2015 and 2019, global poverty reduction slowed, with only 47 million people escaping extreme poverty annually, compared to 112 million per year from 2000-2015
- In 2023, an estimated 712 million people lived below the international poverty line of $2.15/day, with projections showing a slight decline to 7.3% by 2030 if trends continue
- Women and girls represent 61% of the world's extreme poor, with 386 million in extreme poverty in 2022, exacerbated by unpaid care work burdens
- The COVID-19 pandemic pushed an additional 97 million people into extreme poverty in 2020, increasing the global rate to 9.7% from 8.7% pre-pandemic
- Multidimensional poverty affects 1.3 billion people globally, with 644 million in South Asia alone, measuring deprivations in health, education, and living standards
- In 2022, 44% of the world's multidimensionally poor people lived in conflict-affected countries, up from 38% a decade ago
- Global poverty headcount at $6.85/day (upper-middle-income line) was 3.5 billion people or 44% of the population in 2019
- From 1990 to 2019, the global share of people living in poverty below $3.65/day fell from 47% to 23%
- Climate change could push 132 million more people into extreme poverty by 2030, mainly through agricultural losses in low-income countries
- In 2021, 2.8 billion people globally could not afford a healthy diet, costing an average of $3.66 per person per day
- The global Gini coefficient, a measure of income inequality linked to poverty persistence, stood at 38.1 in 2020
- By 2030, under current trends, 575 million people will remain in extreme poverty, 82% in Sub-Saharan Africa
- Digital divides exacerbate poverty, with 2.6 billion people unconnected to the internet in 2023, limiting access to jobs and services
- In 2022, 3.1 billion workers lived in poverty or near-poverty, with wages insufficient to lift families above $6.85/day threshold
- Global remittances to low- and middle-income countries reached $626 billion in 2022, reducing poverty by about 4.2 percentage points
- Food insecurity affected 735 million people in 2022, up 122 million from 2019, driven by poverty and conflicts
- In 2019, 77% of the extreme poor lived in rural areas, relying on agriculture which is vulnerable to shocks
- Learning poverty, inability to read by age 10, affects 70% of 10-year-olds in low-income countries, perpetuating intergenerational poverty
- In 2023, debt distress threatened 60% of low-income countries, constraining poverty reduction efforts
- Universal social protection coverage is only 45.2% globally, leaving billions vulnerable to poverty from shocks
- In 2022, 25% of global population lived below $3.65/day national poverty lines
- Gender poverty gap shows women 13% more likely to be poor than men in many regions
- By 2050, climate shocks could increase global poverty by 7.2% under high-emissions scenario
- Global youth (15-24) unemployment rate was 13.7% in 2022, fueling poverty among 73 million unemployed youth
- In 2021, 1.2 billion employed people worldwide lived in extreme or moderate poverty
- Access to electricity reached 91% globally in 2021, but 675 million without it remain in energy poverty
- Global stunting affects 149 million children under 5, linked to poverty and malnutrition
- In 2022, 47% of the world's poor lived in fragile and conflict states
Global Poverty Statistics Interpretation
Latin American Poverty Statistics
- In 2022, Brazil's extreme poverty affected 9.5% or 20 million people below R$218/month line
- Mexico's poverty rate was 36.3% in 2022, with 46.8 million poor, multidimensional 43.9%
- Argentina's poverty reached 40.1% in first half 2023, affecting 18 million amid inflation
- Colombia had 33.2% poverty incidence in 2023, down from 39.3% in 2021
- Peru's poverty rate was 27.5% in 2023, rural 40.4%
- Chile's multidimensional poverty was 20.7% in 2022, income poverty 10.8%
- Venezuela's poverty estimated at 80% in 2023, hyperinflation legacy
- Guatemala had 55.9% poverty in 2022 at national line, indigenous 75%
- Bolivia's extreme poverty was 15.2% in 2022, total 36.3%
- Ecuador's poverty rate 25% in 2023, up from 22.5% due to migration
- Honduras 74.5% lived below $6.85/day in 2022
- El Salvador's poverty was 26.8% in 2022, urban 19.9%
- Nicaragua's poverty rate 24.9% in 2022, rural 42.5%
- Costa Rica's poverty fell to 20.5% in 2023 from 23.7%
- Panama had 22.8% poverty in 2023, indigenous areas 85%
- Paraguay's poverty was 24.5% in 2022, rural 32.3%
- Uruguay's poverty rate low at 9.1% in 2023, but inequality Gini 39.7
- Dominican Republic 23.3% poverty in 2022, urban 20.8%
- Haiti extreme poverty 58.5% in 2022, affecting 6 million amid gang violence
- In Jamaica, 19.3% below national poverty line in 2022
- Trinidad and Tobago poverty 20% in 2023, down from 25%
Latin American Poverty Statistics Interpretation
North American and European Poverty Statistics
- In US, 11.5% of population or 37.9 million lived in poverty in 2022 per official measure
- In Canada, poverty rate was 6.4% in 2022 using Market Basket Measure, affecting 2.4 million
- UK poverty rate 22.4% in 2022/23, 14.4 million people, including 4.2 million children
- Germany's at-risk-of-poverty rate was 16.8% in 2022, affecting 14.2 million
- France had 14.6% at-risk-of-poverty in 2022, 9 million people
- Italy's poverty rate 9.4% absolute in 2022, 5.7 million poor
- Spain severe material deprivation 5.7% in 2022, poverty risk 20.2%
- In Poland, extreme poverty 4.2% in 2022, affecting 1.6 million
- Sweden's poverty risk low at 15.8% in 2022, but child poverty 12.1%
- Netherlands at-risk-of-poverty 16.5% in 2022
- In Australia, 11.4% poverty rate in 2022 using 50% median income
- Japan's relative poverty rate 15.7% in 2022, highest among elderly at 19.6%
- South Korea's poverty rate 15.3% in 2023, elderly 40.4%
- In Russia, 9.3% lived below subsistence minimum in 2023, 13.5 million
- Turkey's poverty rate 13.9% at national line in 2023
- Ireland child poverty 16.7% in 2022
- Belgium's at-risk-of-poverty 16.6% in 2022
- Austria poverty risk 13.3% in 2022
- Switzerland low poverty at 6.7% in 2022
- Norway's poverty rate 12.7% relative in 2022
- Denmark 12.5% at-risk-of-poverty in 2022
- Finland child poverty 11.4% in 2022
- Portugal's poverty rate 16.4% in 2022
- Greece severe deprivation 4.4% in 2022 post-crisis recovery
North American and European Poverty Statistics Interpretation
Sources & References
- Reference 1WORLDBANKworldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 2PIPpip.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 3OURWORLDINDATAourworldindata.orgVisit source
- Reference 4UNWOMENunwomen.orgVisit source
- Reference 5OPHIophi.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 6HDRhdr.undp.orgVisit source
- Reference 7FAOfao.orgVisit source
- Reference 8WORLDPOPULATIONREVIEWworldpopulationreview.comVisit source
- Reference 9ITUitu.intVisit source
- Reference 10ILOSTATilostat.ilo.orgVisit source
- Reference 11IMFimf.orgVisit source
- Reference 12ILOilo.orgVisit source
- Reference 13UNun.orgVisit source
- Reference 14IEAiea.orgVisit source
- Reference 15WHOwho.intVisit source
- Reference 16STATSSAstatssa.gov.zaVisit source
- Reference 17CAPMAScapmas.gov.egVisit source
- Reference 18GHANASTATghanastat.gov.ghVisit source
- Reference 19UBOSubos.orgVisit source
- Reference 20ZAMSTATSzamstats.gov.zmVisit source
- Reference 21NST1nst1.gov.rwVisit source
- Reference 22INSTATSinstats.bfVisit source
- Reference 23ANSDansd.snVisit source
- Reference 24STATSstats.slVisit source
- Reference 25INSins.ciVisit source
- Reference 26BOSbos.gov.lsVisit source
- Reference 27LISGISlisgis.gov.lrVisit source
- Reference 28BBSbbs.gov.bdVisit source
- Reference 29PBSpbs.gov.pkVisit source
- Reference 30BPSbps.go.idVisit source
- Reference 31PSApsa.gov.phVisit source
- Reference 32GSOgso.gov.vnVisit source
- Reference 33NPCnpc.gov.npVisit source
- Reference 34STATSstats.gov.cnVisit source
- Reference 35NISnis.gov.khVisit source
- Reference 36LAOSTATlaostat.laVisit source
- Reference 37STATISTICSstatistics.gov.lkVisit source
- Reference 38STATISTICSstatistics.gov.tlVisit source
- Reference 39NSOnso.mnVisit source
- Reference 40STATstat.uzVisit source
- Reference 41STATstat.tjVisit source
- Reference 42NSBnsb.gov.btVisit source
- Reference 43NPSnps.gov.mvVisit source
- Reference 4438NORTH38north.orgVisit source
- Reference 45UNRWAunrwa.orgVisit source
- Reference 46IBGEibge.gov.brVisit source
- Reference 47CONEVALconeval.org.mxVisit source
- Reference 48INDECindec.gob.arVisit source
- Reference 49DANEdane.gov.coVisit source
- Reference 50INEIinei.gob.peVisit source
- Reference 51DESARROLLOSOCIALYFAMILIAdesarrollosocialyfamilia.gob.clVisit source
- Reference 52ENCOVIVIENDAencovivienda.comVisit source
- Reference 53INEine.gob.gtVisit source
- Reference 54INEine.gob.boVisit source
- Reference 55ECUADORENCIFRASecuadorencifras.gob.ecVisit source
- Reference 56DIGESTYCdigestyc.gob.svVisit source
- Reference 57INIDEinide.gob.niVisit source
- Reference 58INIECiniec.crVisit source
- Reference 59CONTRALORIAcontraloria.gob.paVisit source
- Reference 60DGEECdgeec.gov.pyVisit source
- Reference 61INEine.gub.uyVisit source
- Reference 62ONEone.gob.doVisit source
- Reference 63STATINVESTstatinvest.gov.jmVisit source
- Reference 64CSOcso.gov.ttVisit source
- Reference 65CENSUScensus.govVisit source
- Reference 66STATCANstatcan.gc.caVisit source
- Reference 67JRFjrf.org.ukVisit source
- Reference 68DESTATISdestatis.deVisit source
- Reference 69INSEEinsee.frVisit source
- Reference 70ISTATistat.itVisit source
- Reference 71ECec.europa.euVisit source
- Reference 72STATstat.gov.plVisit source
- Reference 73CBScbs.nlVisit source
- Reference 74POVERTYANDINEQUALITYpovertyandinequality.acoss.org.auVisit source
- Reference 75MHLWmhlw.go.jpVisit source
- Reference 76KOSTATkostat.go.krVisit source
- Reference 77ROSSTATrosstat.gov.ruVisit source
- Reference 78DATAdata.tuik.gov.trVisit source
- Reference 79SOCIALJUSTICEsocialjustice.ieVisit source
- Reference 80STATBELstatbel.fgov.beVisit source
- Reference 81STATISTIKstatistik.atVisit source
- Reference 82BFSbfs.admin.chVisit source
- Reference 83SSBssb.noVisit source
- Reference 84THLthl.fiVisit source
- Reference 85INEine.ptVisit source
- Reference 86STATISTICSstatistics.grVisit source






