Among the OECD countries, Costa Rica had the highest share of children living in poverty, reaching 28.5 percent in 2022. Türkiye followed with a share of 22 percent of children living in poverty, while 20.5 percent of children in Spain, Chile, and the United States did the same. On the other hand, only three percent of children in Finland were living in poverty.

Out of all OECD countries, Cost Rica had the highest poverty rate as of 2022, at over 20 percent. The country with the second highest poverty rate was the United States, with 18 percent. On the other end of the scale, Czechia had the lowest poverty rate at 6.4 percent, followed by Denmark.

The significance of the OECD

The OECD, or the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, was founded in 1948 and is made up of 38 member countries. It seeks to improve the economic and social well-being of countries and their populations. The OECD looks at issues that impact people’s everyday lives and proposes policies that can help to improve the quality of life.

Poverty in the United States

In 2022, there were nearly 38 million people living below the poverty line in the U.S.. About one fourth of the Native American population lived in poverty in 2022, the most out of any ethnicity. In addition, the rate was higher among young women than young men. It is clear that poverty in the United States is a complex, multi-faceted issue that affects millions of people and is even more complex to solve.

Will all children be able to read by 2030? The ability to read with comprehension is a foundational skill that every education system around the world strives to impart by late in primary school—generally by age 10. Moreover, attaining the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education requires first achieving this basic building block, and so does improving countries’ Human Capital Index scores. Yet past evidence from many low- and middle-income countries has shown that many children are not learning to read with comprehension in primary school. To understand the global picture better, we have worked with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) to assemble a new dataset with the most comprehensive measures of this foundational skill yet developed, by linking together data from credible cross-national and national assessments of reading. This dataset covers 115 countries, accounting for 81% of children worldwide and 79% of children in low- and middle-income countries. The new data allow us to estimate the reading proficiency of late-primary-age children, and we also provide what are among the first estimates (and the most comprehensive, for low- and middle-income countries) of the historical rate of progress in improving reading proficiency globally (for the 2000-17 period). The results show that 53% of all children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read age-appropriate material by age 10, and that at current rates of improvement, this “learning poverty” rate will have fallen only to 43% by 2030. Indeed, we find that the goal of all children reading by 2030 will be attainable only with historically unprecedented progress. The high rate of “learning poverty” and slow progress in low- and middle-income countries is an early warning that all the ambitious SDG targets in education (and likely of social progress) are at risk. Based on this evidence, we suggest a new medium-term target to guide the World Bank’s work in low- and middle- income countries: cut learning poverty by at least half by 2030. This target, together with improved measurement of learning, can be as an evidence-based tool to accelerate progress to get all children reading by age 10.

For further details, please refer to https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/e52f55322528903b27f1b7e61238e416-0200022022/original/Learning-poverty-report-2022-06-21-final-V7-0-conferenceEdition.pdf

Have you ever considered where pockets of poverty exist and who is most affected? Unfortunately, global patterns indicate that children are most impacted by poverty. Across the globe, a staggering 333 million children live in conditions of extreme poverty. Why is poverty such a critical issue? Because it affects the overall well-being of a person. Those living in poverty often encounter barriers to basic necessities like food, shelter, and healthcare. Growing up without consistent nutrition, shelter, and safety can have long-lasting developmental impacts on children and can cause lifelong problems. For more, read: Child poverty | UNICEF

Graph and download economic data for Estimated Percent of People of All Ages in Poverty for United States (PPAAUS00000A156NCEN) from 1989 to 2023 about percent, child, poverty, and USA.

Abstract

Young Lives: An International Study of Childhood Poverty is a collaborative project investigating the changing nature of childhood poverty in selected developing countries. The UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) is funding the first three-year phase of the project.

Young Lives involves collaboration between Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and the academic sector. In the UK, the project is being run by Save the Children-UK together with an academic consortium that comprises the University of Reading, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, South Bank University, the Institute of Development Studies at Sussex University and the South African Medical Research Council.

The study is being conducted in Ethiopia, India (in Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam. These countries were selected because they reflect a range of cultural, geographical and social contexts and experience differing issues facing the developing world; high debt burden, emergence from conflict, and vulnerability to environmental conditions such as drought and flood.

Objectives of the study The Young Lives study has three broad objectives: • producing good quality panel data about the changing nature of the lives of children in poverty. • trace linkages between key policy changes and child poverty • informing and responding to the needs of policy makers, planners and other stakeholders There will also be a strong education and media element, both in the countries where the project takes place, and in the UK.

The study takes a broad approach to child poverty, exploring not only household economic indicators such as assets and wealth, but also child centred poverty measures such as the child’s physical and mental health, growth, development and education. These child centred measures are age specific so the information collected by the study will change as the children get older.

Further information about the survey, including publications, can be downloaded from the Young Lives website.

Geographic coverage

Young Lives is an international study of childhood poverty, involving 12,000 children in 4 countries. - Ethiopia (20 communities in Addis Ababa, Amhara, Oromia, and Southern National, Nationalities and People's Regions) - India (20 sites across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana) - Peru (74 communities across Peru) - Vietnam (20 communities in the communes of Lao Cai in the north-west, Hung Yen province in the Red River Delta, the city of Danang on the coast, Phu Yen province from the South Central Coast and Ben Tre province on the Mekong River Delta)

Analysis unit

Individuals; Families/households

Universe

Cross-national; Subnational

Children aged approximately 5 years old and their households, and children aged 12 years old and their households, in Ethiopia, India (Andhra Pradesh), Peru and Vietnam, in 2006-2007. These children were originally interviewed in Round 1 of the study. See documentation for details of the exact regions covered in each country.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Purposive selection/case studies

Sampling deviation

Ethiopia: 1,886 (8-year-olds), 974 (15-year-olds); India: 1,930 (8-year-olds), 977 (15-year-olds); Peru: 1,946 (8-year-olds), 678 (15-year-olds); Vietnam: 1,963 (8-year-olds), 972 (15-year-olds)

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face interview; Self-completion

Research instrument

Every questionnaire used in the study consists of a 'core' element and a country-specific element, which focuses on issues important for that country.

The core element of the questionnaires consists of the following sections: Core 5 & 12 year old household questionnaire • Section 1: Parental background • Section 2: Household education • Section 3: Livelihoods and asset framework • Section 3a: Land & crops • Section 3b: Time allocation • Section 3c: Productive assets • Section 3d: Non-agricultural earnings • Section 3e: Transfers • Section 4: Consumption/Expenditure • Section 4a: Food consumption/expenditure • Section 4b: Non-food consumption/expenditure • Section 5: Social capital • Section 5a: Support networks • Section 5b: Family, group and political capital • Section 5c: Collective action and exclusion • Section 5d: Information networks • Section 6: Economic changes and recent life history • Section 7: Socio-economic status • Section 8: Child care, education & activities (blank in 12yr old household) • Section 9: Child health • Section 10: Child development (blank in 12yr old household) • Section 11: Anthropometry • Section 12: Caregiver perceptions & attitudes

Core 12 year old child questionnaire • Section 1: School and activities • Section 2: Child health • Section 3: Social networks, social skills and social support • Section 4: Feelings and attitudes • Section 5: Parents and household issues • Section 6: Perceptions of household wealth and future • Section 7: Child Development

The community questionnaire used in Ethiopia consists of the following sections: - MODULE 1 General Module • Section 1 General Community Characteristics • Section 2 Social Environment • Section 3 Access to Services • Section 4 Economy • Section 5 Local Prices - MODULE 2 Child-Specific Modules • Section 1 Educational Service (General) • Section 2 NOT INCLUDED IN ETHIOPIA CONTEXT INSTRUMENT • Section 3 Educational Services (Preschool, Primary, Secondary) • Section 4 Health Services • Section 5 Child Protection Services - MODULE 3 Country specific community level questions • Section 1 Conversion factors • Section 2 Migration • Section 3 Social protection program • Section 4 Equity and budget management in education and health

The community questionnaire used in India consists of the following sections: - MODULE 1 General Module • Section 1: General Community Characteristics • Section 2: Social Environment • Section 3: Access to Services • Section 4: Economy • Section 5; Local Prices - MODULE 2 Child-Specific Modules • Section 1: Educational Services (General) • Section 2: Child day care Services • Section 3: Educational Services (Preschool, Primary, Secondary) • Section 4: Health Services • Section 5: Child Protection Services

The community questionnaire used in Peru consists of the following sections: - MODULE 1 General Module • Section 1: General Community Characteristics • Section 2: Social Environment • Section 3: Access to Services • Section 4: Economy • Section 5: Local Prices - MODULE 2 Child-Specific Modules • Section 1: Educational Services (General) • Section 2: Child day care Services • Section 3: Educational Services (Preschool, Primary, Secondary) • Section 4: Health Services • Section 5: Child Protection Services

The community questionnaire used in Vietnam consists of the following sections: - MODULE 1 General Module • Section 1: General Community Characteristics • Section 2: Social Environment • Section 3: Access to Services • Section 4: Economy • Section 5: Local Prices • Section 6: Poverty Alleviation and Infrastructure Initiatives - MODULE 2 Child-Specific Module • Section 1: Educational Services (General and Country Specific) • Section 2: Child day care Services • Section 3: Educational Services (Preschool, Primary, Secondary) • Section 4: Health Services • Section 5: Child Protection Services

This layer shows childhood poverty figures at a country scale. Population figures were obtained in 2023.This layer uses bivariate choropleth mapping to symboloise the relationship between children living in poverty (as defined globally) and children engaged in economic activity (i.e. work).Global patterns indicate that children are most impacted by poverty. Across the globe, a staggering 333 million children live in conditions of extreme poverty. This layer has been designed to help school children in New Zealand and the South Pacific explore these claims.

Will all children be able to read by 2030? The ability to read with comprehension is a foundational skill that every education system around the world strives to impart by late in primary school—generally by age 10. Moreover, attaining the ambitious Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education requires first achieving this basic building block, and so does improving countries’ Human Capital Index scores. Yet past evidence from many low- and middle-income countries has shown that many children are not learning to read with comprehension in primary school. To understand the global picture better, we have worked with the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) to assemble a new dataset with the most comprehensive measures of this foundational skill yet developed, by linking together data from credible cross-national and national assessments of reading. This dataset covers 115 countries, accounting for 81% of children worldwide and 79% of children in low- and middle-income countries. The new data allow us to estimate the reading proficiency of late-primary-age children, and we also provide what are among the first estimates (and the most comprehensive, for low- and middle-income countries) of the historical rate of progress in improving reading proficiency globally (for the 2000-17 period). The results show that 53% of all children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read age-appropriate material by age 10, and that at current rates of improvement, this “learning poverty” rate will have fallen only to 43% by 2030. Indeed, we find that the goal of all children reading by 2030 will be attainable only with historically unprecedented progress. The high rate of “learning poverty” and slow progress in low- and middle-income countries is an early warning that all the ambitious SDG targets in education (and likely of social progress) are at risk. Based on this evidence, we suggest a new medium-term target to guide the World Bank’s work in low- and middle- income countries: cut learning poverty by at least half by 2030. This target, together with improved measurement of learning, can be as an evidence-based tool to accelerate progress to get all children reading by age 10. For further details, please refer to https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/e52f55322528903b27f1b7e61238e416-0200022022/original/Learning-poverty-report-2022-06-21-final-V7-0-conferenceEdition.pdf

Estonia EE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 17.200 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.800 % for 2020. Estonia EE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 21.250 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.700 % in 2011 and a record low of 17.200 % in 2021. Estonia EE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Estonia – Table EE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

In 2025, nearly 11.7 percent of the world population in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars a day, lived in Nigeria. Moreover, the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounted for around 11.7 percent of the global population in extreme poverty. Other African nations with a large poor population were Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar. Poverty levels remain high despite the forecast decline Poverty is a widespread issue across Africa. Around 429 million people on the continent were living below the extreme poverty line of 2.15 U.S. dollars a day in 2024. Since the continent had approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants, roughly a third of Africa’s population was in extreme poverty that year. Mozambique, Malawi, Central African Republic, and Niger had Africa’s highest extreme poverty rates based on the 2.15 U.S. dollars per day extreme poverty indicator (updated from 1.90 U.S. dollars in September 2022). Although the levels of poverty on the continent are forecast to decrease in the coming years, Africa will remain the poorest region compared to the rest of the world. Prevalence of poverty and malnutrition across Africa Multiple factors are linked to increased poverty. Regions with critical situations of employment, education, health, nutrition, war, and conflict usually have larger poor populations. Consequently, poverty tends to be more prevalent in least-developed and developing countries worldwide. For similar reasons, rural households also face higher poverty levels. In 2024, the extreme poverty rate in Africa stood at around 45 percent among the rural population, compared to seven percent in urban areas. Together with poverty, malnutrition is also widespread in Africa. Limited access to food leads to low health conditions, increasing the poverty risk. At the same time, poverty can determine inadequate nutrition. Almost 38.3 percent of the global undernourished population lived in Africa in 2022.

Afghanistan Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 53.800 % in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 56.400 % for 2016. Afghanistan Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 55.100 % from Dec 2016 (Median) to 2020, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.400 % in 2016 and a record low of 53.800 % in 2020. Afghanistan Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Afghanistan – Table AF.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

Slovakia SK: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 19.900 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 19.000 % for 2020. Slovakia SK: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 24.200 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.300 % in 2012 and a record low of 19.000 % in 2020. Slovakia SK: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Slovakia – Table SK.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

Sweden SE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 19.000 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 19.300 % for 2020. Sweden SE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 19.300 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.700 % in 2019 and a record low of 18.300 % in 2017. Sweden SE: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

ES: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 33.100 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 31.200 % for 2020. ES: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 31.650 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2021, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 35.400 % in 2014 and a record low of 28.800 % in 2018. ES: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Spain – Table ES.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

The poverty-fighting charity you work for wants to alleviate suffering among impoverished children in Detroit, a Michigan city which consistently ranks among America's poorest urban centers. In this lesson, you'll combine census-tract data with ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World demographic information to identify the most poverty-stricken neighborhoods. With that newly discovered knowledge, you'll configure an app which will help you articulate a report to top donors.

In this lesson you will build skills in the these areas:

• Mapping income
• Styling layers and pop-ups
• Creating an app

Learn ArcGIS is a hands-on, problem-based learning website using real-world scenarios. Our mission is to encourage critical thinking, and to develop resources that support STEM education.

The Global Subnational Prevalence of Child Malnutrition dataset consists of estimates of the

percentage of children with weight-for-age z-scores that are more than two standard deviations below the median of the NCHS/CDC/WHO

International Reference Population. Data are reported for the most recent year with subnational information available at the time of

development. The data products include a shapefile (vector data) of percentage rates, grids (raster data) of rates (per thousand in

order to preserve precision in integer format), the number of children under five (the rate denominator), and the number of

underweight children under five (the rate numerator), and a tabular dataset of the same and associated data. This dataset is produced

by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).

This study includes data and documentation for Round 5 only. Round 1 is available under SN 5307, Round 2 under SN 6852, Round 3 under SN 6853 and Round 4 under SN 7931.

Latest edition:
For the second edition (August 2022), the Peruvian younger cohort household level data file (pe_r5_ychh_youngerhousehold) has been updated to include the mother's health variables.

In 2022, Sub-Saharan Africa had the highest child mortality rate worldwide, with 71 children under the age of five deceased per 1,000 live births. The region has the highest poverty rates worldwide. Nevertheless, global child mortality rates fell steadily since the millennium.

In 2023, the around 11.1 percent of the population was living below the national poverty line in the United States. Poverty in the United StatesAs shown in the statistic above, the poverty rate among all people living in the United States has shifted within the last 15 years. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) defines poverty as follows: “Absolute poverty measures poverty in relation to the amount of money necessary to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. The concept of absolute poverty is not concerned with broader quality of life issues or with the overall level of inequality in society.” The poverty rate in the United States varies widely across different ethnic groups. American Indians and Alaska Natives are the ethnic group with the most people living in poverty in 2022, with about 25 percent of the population earning an income below the poverty line. In comparison to that, only 8.6 percent of the White (non-Hispanic) population and the Asian population were living below the poverty line in 2022. Children are one of the most poverty endangered population groups in the U.S. between 1990 and 2022. Child poverty peaked in 1993 with 22.7 percent of children living in poverty in that year in the United States. Between 2000 and 2010, the child poverty rate in the United States was increasing every year; however,this rate was down to 15 percent in 2022. The number of people living in poverty in the U.S. varies from state to state. Compared to California, where about 4.44 million people were living in poverty in 2022, the state of Minnesota had about 429,000 people living in poverty.

The Poverty Mapping Project: Global Subnational Prevalence of Child Malnutrition data set consists of estimates of the percentage of children with weight-for-age z-scores that are more than two standard deviations below the median of the NCHS/CDC/WHO International Reference Population. Data are reported for the most recent year with subnational information available at the time of development. The data products include a shapefile (vector data) of percentage rates, grids (raster data) of rates (per thousand in order to preserve precision in integer format), the number of children under five (the rate denominator), and the number of underweight children under five (the rate numerator), and a tabular data set of the same and associated data. This data set is produced by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN).