In 2024, the at-risk-of-poverty rate in Norway reached around **** percent. The rate was at its lowest in 2012 at ** percent, but peaked at **** in 2018. This was still below the EU average of **** percent in 2024.

Of the Nordic countries, Sweden has had the highest at-risk-of-poverty rate in the entire observed period. In 2024, 13.9 percent of Sweden's population lived at risk of poverty. Since 2015, Norway, Denmark, and Finland all have had similar at-risk-of-poverty rates, around 12 percent, although since 2022, Norway's rate has reached below 12 percent.

Of the Nordic countries, Denmark had the highest rate of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2024. A share of 18 percent of the people living in Denmark were at risk of poverty or social exclusion, and 17.5 percent in Sweden. Norway had the lowest rate recorded in 2024, with 15.7 percent.

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, Luxembourg was the country with the highest gross domestic product per capita in the world. Of the 20 listed countries, 13 are in Europe and five are in Asia, alongside the U.S. and Australia. There are no African or Latin American countries among the top 20. Correlation with high living standards While GDP is a useful indicator for measuring the size or strength of an economy, GDP per capita is much more reflective of living standards. For example, when compared to life expectancy or indices such as the Human Development Index or the World Happiness Report, there is a strong overlap - 14 of the 20 countries on this list are also ranked among the 20 happiest countries in 2024, and all 20 have "very high" HDIs. Misleading metrics? GDP per capita figures, however, can be misleading, and to paint a fuller picture of a country's living standards then one must look at multiple metrics. GDP per capita figures can be skewed by inequalities in wealth distribution, and in countries such as those in the Middle East, a relatively large share of the population lives in poverty while a smaller number live affluent lifestyles.