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.

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.

Of the Nordic countries, Sweden has had the highest at-risk-of-poverty rate in the entire observed documented. In 2024, **** percent of Sweden's population lived at risk of poverty. Since 2015, Norway, Denmark, and Finland all have similar at-risk-of-poverty rates, around ** percent, although since 2022, Norway's rate has reached below ** percent.

Poverty rate at $1.9 a day of Norway rocketed by 50.00% from 0.20 % in 2021 to 0.30 % in 2022. Since the 33.33% drop in 2019, poverty rate at $1.9 a day shot up by 50.00% in 2022. Population below $1.9 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.9 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Historical dataset showing Norway poverty rate by year from 1979 to 2022.

Norway Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 9.400 % in 2019. This records an increase from the previous number of 9.000 % for 2018. Norway Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 7.950 % from Dec 1979 (Median) to 2019, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.700 % in 2016 and a record low of 5.700 % in 2000. Norway Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2017 U.S. dollars and defined as max($2.15, $1.15 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $2.15. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Norway NO: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: % of total population data was reported at 15.900 % in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16.100 % for 2019. Norway NO: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: % of total population data is updated yearly, averaging 15.000 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2020, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.200 % in 2018 and a record low of 13.500 % in 2014. Norway NO: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: % of total population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data was reported at 1.800 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.600 % for 2018. Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data is updated yearly, averaging 1.550 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2019, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.600 % in 2018 and a record low of 0.800 % in 2011. Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: World Bank: % of total population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (World Bank) is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Multidimensional Poverty Measure. The Multidimensional Poverty Measure includes three dimensions – monetary poverty, education, and basic infrastructure services – to capture a more complete picture of poverty.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

Between 2012 and 2022, the at-risk-of-poverty rate among the Norwegian-born population was around ** percent, whereas it was around ** percent for the EU-born population, but dropped below ** percent for the the latter in 2022. However, after dropping in 2014 and 2017, the rate among the citizens born outside of the EU was above ** percent from 2018 to 2020, before dropping to ** percent in 2022.

Norway NO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $2.15 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 0.200 % in 2019. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.300 % for 2018. Norway NO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $2.15 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.200 % from Dec 1979 (Median) to 2019, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.500 % in 1995 and a record low of 0.100 % in 2014. Norway NO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $2.15 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $2.15 a day at 2017 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

0.0 (million persons) in 2018. Number of people, in millions, living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 PPP is calculated by multiplying the poverty rate and the population. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

NO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.65 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 0.300 % in 2019. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.300 % for 2018. NO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.65 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.300 % from Dec 1979 (Median) to 2019, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.500 % in 1995 and a record low of 0.100 % in 2014. NO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.65 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Norway – Table NO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty headcount ratio at $3.65 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.65 a day at 2017 international prices.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

0.40 (%) in 2022. Population below $3.1 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.1 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic impacted East Africa's poverty level. Extreme poverty rate in the region increased from ** percent in 2019 to ** percent in 2021. South Sudan and Brurundi had the highest share of population living on less than **** U.S. dollars per day, ** percent and ** percent, respectively.

Seven in ten Africans in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Madagascar, and Zimbabwe are considered extremely officially poor living on less than $1.90 per day. When it comes to measuring monetary poverty, the US$1.90 benchmark is used to assess how well people are doing relative to the basic needs in the world’s poorest countries.

Poverty ratio at national poverty line of Norway declined by 1.55% from 12.9 % in 2017 to 12.7 % in 2018. Since the 0.82% growth in 2016, poverty ratio at national poverty line grew by 3.25% in 2018. National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty lines. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.

NO: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data was reported at 16.000 % in 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 16.000 % for 2019. NO: Multidimensional Poverty Headcount Ratio: Children: % of population aged 0-17 data is updated yearly, averaging 14.400 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2020, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.000 % in 2020 and a record low of 11.500 % in 2012. NO: 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 Norway – Table NO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

In 2023, all selected Latin American countries registered a higher poverty rate for women than for men. Colombia ranked among the highest poverty rates both for males and females only behind Honduras.

0.4 (%) in 2018. Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

Cross sectional data, all countries for the statistic Poverty_Headcount_($1_90_A_Day). The poverty headcount index measures the proportion of the population with daily per capita income (in 2011 PPP) below the poverty line.