In 2021, approximately 5.4 percent of the Bolivian population were living on less than 3.65 U.S. dollars per day. Since 2016, this share has been continuously decreasing until the previous year, despite the increase in 2020. Still, the unemployment rate in the South American country has reached its peak since 1999 in 2020.

Historical chart and dataset showing Bolivia poverty rate by year from 1990 to 2023.

The share of indigenous population in Bolivia that had an average per capita income below the poverty line totaled 35.4 percent in 2021. In comparison to the beginning of the mentioned period, this represents a decrease of 34.1 percentage points. Overall, in Latin America, the share of indigenous population living in extreme poverty reached 18.5 percent in 2021.

Historical dataset showing Bolivia poverty rate by year from 1990 to 2023.

Bolivia BO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 36.400 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 39.000 % for 2020. Bolivia BO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 44.200 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2021, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.400 % in 2000 and a record low of 34.500 % in 2018. Bolivia BO: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line(s). National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. For economies for which the data are from EU-SILC, the reported year is the income reference year, which is the year before the survey year.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.;;This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Bolivia was reported at 37.7 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bolivia - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

BO: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data was reported at 4.420 % in 2021. BO: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 4.420 % from Dec 2021 (Median) to 2021, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.420 % in 2021 and a record low of 4.420 % in 2021. BO: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The growth rate in the welfare aggregate of the bottom 40% is computed as the annualized average growth rate in per capita real consumption or income of the bottom 40% of the population in the income distribution in a country from household surveys over a roughly 5-year period. Mean per capita real consumption or income is measured at 2017 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries means are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The annualized growth rate is computed as (Mean in final year/Mean in initial year)^(1/(Final year - Initial year)) - 1. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported. The initial year refers to the nearest survey collected 5 years before the most recent survey available, only surveys collected between 3 and 7 years before the most recent survey are considered. The coverage and quality of the 2017 PPP price data for Iraq and most other North African and Middle Eastern countries were hindered by the exceptional period of instability they faced at the time of the 2017 exercise of the International Comparison Program. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform for detailed explanations.;World Bank, Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP) (http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/global-database-of-shared-prosperity).;;The comparability of welfare aggregates (consumption or income) for the chosen years T0 and T1 is assessed for every country. If comparability across the two surveys is a major concern for a country, the selection criteria are re-applied to select the next best survey year(s). Annualized growth rates are calculated between the survey years, using a compound growth formula. The survey years defining the period for which growth rates are calculated and the type of welfare aggregate used to calculate the growth rates are noted in the footnotes.

Bolivia BO: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data was reported at 17.400 % in 2021. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.900 % for 2020. Bolivia BO: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data is updated yearly, averaging 22.800 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2021, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 30.300 % in 1999 and a record low of 17.400 % in 2021. Bolivia BO: Proportion of People Living Below 50 Percent Of Median Income: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2017 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.;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).

Bolivia Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 23.000 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 22.800 % for 2020. Bolivia Poverty Headcount Ratio at Societal Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 28.700 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 38.200 % in 2000 and a record low of 22.700 % in 2019. Bolivia 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 Bolivia – Table BO.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).

The report presents a diagnostic of poverty, human development, and access to social infrastructure in Bolivia, based on analytical work, to serve as an input for the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). Findings suggest that poverty affects half of the population in large cities, two thirds in other urban areas, and eighty percent in rural areas. Nonetheless, there is seemingly a recent decrease in inequality, although this does not imply a long-term trend. The complex determinants of poverty, are also increased by the fact of being from an indigenous population, and of having a household head unemployed, underemployed, and/or female. Since poverty decreases with education, and employment in non-agricultural occupations, and geography affects poverty, migration becomes a poverty-reducing tool. A qualitative study of farmers in the Altiplano suggest decreased rural productivity, intensified by climatic, demographic, and environmental pressures, with little gain from most development projects. Hence, progress in non-monetary indicators show that while unsatisfied basic needs fell significantly from 1976 to 2001, the gains were mainly achieved in urban areas, and needs remain large in rural areas. It is suggested that this progress in basic needs measures, lies in the increased social spending, but the scope for reducing monetary poverty, lies in the accessibility to public infrastructure services, in reducing violence, and gender issues. But the impact of growth needs further understanding, with improvements in productivity and competitiveness, enlarged by improvements in education, health, and nutrition, where the poor may benefit more than the non-poor from the expansion of these services.

Bolivia BO: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Total Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data was reported at 0.690 % in 2021. Bolivia BO: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Total Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 0.690 % from Dec 2021 (Median) to 2021, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.690 % in 2021 and a record low of 0.690 % in 2021. Bolivia BO: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Total Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. The growth rate in the welfare aggregate of the total population is computed as the annualized average growth rate in per capita real consumption or income of the total population in the income distribution in a country from household surveys over a roughly 5-year period. Mean per capita real consumption or income is measured at 2017 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries means are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The annualized growth rate is computed as (Mean in final year/Mean in initial year)^(1/(Final year - Initial year)) - 1. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported. The initial year refers to the nearest survey collected 5 years before the most recent survey available, only surveys collected between 3 and 7 years before the most recent survey are considered. The coverage and quality of the 2017 PPP price data for Iraq and most other North African and Middle Eastern countries were hindered by the exceptional period of instability they faced at the time of the 2017 exercise of the International Comparison Program. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform for detailed explanations.;World Bank, Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP) (http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/poverty/brief/global-database-of-shared-prosperity).;;The comparability of welfare aggregates (consumption or income) for the chosen years T0 and T1 is assessed for every country. If comparability across the two surveys is a major concern for a country, the selection criteria are re-applied to select the next best survey year(s). Annualized growth rates are calculated between the survey years, using a compound growth formula. The survey years defining the period for which growth rates are calculated and the type of welfare aggregate used to calculate the growth rates are noted in the footnotes.

The index provides the only comprehensive measure available for non-income poverty, which has become a critical underpinning of the SDGs. Critically the MPI comprises variables that are already reported under the Demographic Health Surveys (DHS) and Multi-Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) The resources subnational multidimensional poverty data from the data tables published by the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), University of Oxford. The global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) measures multidimensional poverty in over 100 developing countries, using internationally comparable datasets and is updated annually. The measure captures the severe deprivations that each person faces at the same time using information from 10 indicators, which are grouped into three equally weighted dimensions: health, education, and living standards. The global MPI methodology is detailed in Alkire, Kanagaratnam & Suppa (2023)

In 2022, the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Peru increased by 1.6 percentage points (+6.18 percent) compared to 2021. In total, the poverty headcount ratio amounted to 27.5 percent in 2022. The poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines refers to the share of the population living in poverty, based on parameters set by local, regional, or national governments.Find more key insights for the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in countries like Ecuador and Bolivia.

The poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Ecuador declined to 25.2 percent in 2022. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher poverty headcount ratio than the preceding years.The poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines refers to the share of the population living in poverty, based on parameters set by local, regional, or national governments.Find more key insights for the poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in countries like Bolivia and Peru.

Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % data was reported at 30.500 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 32.900 % for 2013. Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % data is updated yearly, averaging 41.300 % from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2014, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 54.300 % in 2005 and a record low of 30.500 % in 2014. Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Rural poverty gap at national poverty lines is the rural population's mean shortfall from the poverty lines (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall) as a percentage of the poverty lines. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Bolivia BO: Income Share Held by Lowest 20% data was reported at 5.300 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 4.700 % for 2020. Bolivia BO: Income Share Held by Lowest 20% data is updated yearly, averaging 3.500 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2021, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.600 % in 1990 and a record low of 1.100 % in 2000. Bolivia BO: Income Share Held by Lowest 20% data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Percentage share of income or consumption is the share that accrues to subgroups of population indicated by deciles or quintiles. Percentage shares by quintile may not sum to 100 because of rounding.;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).

Bolivia is today at a crossroads. Several years of growth were achieved in the early and mid 1990s resulting from structural reforms which encouraged an upswing in private investment and productivity gains. However, more recently a series of economic shocks have hit Bolivia. These shocks not only had a negative impact in and of themselves, but they also led to growing political and social instability and public disenchantment with the reform program, which has lost momentum in the past five years. This, in turn, reinforced an economic downturn, to the point where the gains in poverty reduction and employment creation of the 1990s have been lost. This report recommends that once a degree of political consensus and social stability is achieved, Bolivia should retake the reform agenda to promote private investment and productivity gains, tackling micro-level obstacles such as contract security, legal enforcement, legal and regulatory burden, and trade policy, among others. The report outlines policies that would allow Bolivia to achieve faster growth. Development and poverty have many dimensions, and growth is necessary-but not sufficient-for development and poverty reduction. This report is focused narrowly on growth. Drawing on long term trends, it diagnoses current problems in light of the country's growth objectives that are being supported by the Bank's overall program as articulated in the Country Assistance Strategy.

Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % data was reported at 10.500 % in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.400 % for 2013. Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % data is updated yearly, averaging 18.300 % from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2014, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.800 % in 2005 and a record low of 10.400 % in 2013. Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Urban poverty gap at national poverty lines is the urban population's mean shortfall from the poverty lines (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall) as a percentage of the poverty lines. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Contains data from the World Bank's data portal covering the following topics which also exist as individual datasets on HDX: Agriculture and Rural Development, Aid Effectiveness, Economy and Growth, Education, Energy and Mining, Environment, Financial Sector, Health, Infrastructure, Social Protection and Labor, Poverty, Private Sector, Public Sector, Science and Technology, Social Development, Urban Development, Gender, Millenium development goals, Climate Change, External Debt, Trade.

Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data was reported at 8.200 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.300 % for 2019. Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data is updated yearly, averaging 15.900 % from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2020, with 21 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 36.200 % in 2000 and a record low of 7.300 % in 2019. Bolivia BO: Poverty Gap at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Bolivia – Table BO.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty gap at $5.50 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $5.50 a day (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall), expressed as a percentage of the poverty line. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; 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 around 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).