Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate was 11.60% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate - last updated from the EUROSTAT on October of 2025. Historically, Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate reached a record high of 13.30% in December of 2010 and a record low of 11.60% in December of 2024.

Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate: Retired persons was 11.40% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate: Retired persons - last updated from the EUROSTAT on October of 2025. Historically, Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate: Retired persons reached a record high of 16.60% in December of 2010 and a record low of 8.60% in December of 2017.

The number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion in Denmark amounted to ******* people in 2020. Between 2003 and 2020, the number of people at risk of poverty rose by ****** people, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

Poverty rate at national poverty line of Denmark went up by 0.81% from 12.3 % in 2020 to 12.4 % in 2021. Since the 1.65% improve in 2020, poverty rate at national poverty line improved by 0.81% in 2021. National poverty rate is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.

Historical dataset showing Denmark poverty rate by year from 1987 to 2022.

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.

This statistic displays the rates of severe material deprivation rates in Denmark from 2007 to 2020. The data shows an overall decrease of *** percent of the population experiencing hardship between 2015 and 2016. This is equivalent to a decrease of ** thousand people not being able to pay rent or utility bills; to keep their home adequately warm and to pay unexpected expenses. In 2020, *** percent of the population lived in severe material deprivation in Denmark.

Poverty ratio at $1.9 a day of Denmark rocketed by 100.00% from 0.1 % in 2017 to 0.2 % in 2018. Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 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.

0.2 (%) in 2014. Population below $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 international prices.

Denmark - Persistent at Risk of Poverty rate: From 18 to 24 years was 2.30% in December of 2023, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Denmark - Persistent at Risk of Poverty rate: From 18 to 24 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on October of 2025. Historically, Denmark - Persistent at Risk of Poverty rate: From 18 to 24 years reached a record high of 30.70% in December of 2016 and a record low of 1.80% in December of 2012.

The at-risk-of-poverty rate in Denmark between 2012 and 2022 was highest among citizens born outside of the EU. It usually lay just below 30 percent for this group, but dropped below 20 percent in 2022. Moreover, the rate was higher among the population born in the EU than among the local-born population. It remained stable between 11 and 12 percent for the Danish-born population.

Denmark DK: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 0.500 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.700 % for 2014. Denmark DK: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.500 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2015, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.000 % in 2009 and a record low of 0.200 % in 2012. Denmark DK: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Denmark – Table DK.World Bank: Poverty. 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.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. The aggregated numbers for low- and middle-income countries correspond to the totals of 6 regions in PovcalNet, which include low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia). See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Denmark DK: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 12.300 % in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 12.100 % for 2019. Denmark DK: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 12.200 % from Dec 2019 (Median) to 2020, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.300 % in 2020 and a record low of 12.100 % in 2019. Denmark DK: 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 Denmark – Table DK.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.

Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate: Less than 18 years was 10.10% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate: Less than 18 years - last updated from the EUROSTAT on October of 2025. Historically, Denmark - At Risk of Poverty rate: Less than 18 years reached a record high of 11.00% in December of 2018 and a record low of 9.10% in December of 2013.

0.1 (%) in 2018. Poverty gap at $1.90 a day (2011 PPP) is the mean shortfall in income or consumption from the poverty line $1.90 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. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

12.5 (%) 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.

Denmark DK: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data was reported at 0.570 % in 2015. Denmark DK: Survey Mean Consumption or Income per Capita: Bottom 40% of Population: Annualized Average Growth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 0.570 % from Dec 2015 (Median) to 2015, with 1 observations. Denmark DK: 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 Denmark – Table DK.World Bank: Poverty. 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 2011 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet). 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 final year refers to the most recent survey available between 2011 and 2015. Growth rates for Iraq are based on survey means of 2005 PPP$. The coverage and quality of the 2011 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 2011 exercise of the International Comparison Program. See PovcalNet for detailed explanations.; ; World Bank, Global Database of Shared Prosperity (GDSP) circa 2010-2015 (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.

Denmark DK: Gini Coefficient (GINI Index): World Bank Estimate data was reported at 28.200 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 28.400 % for 2014. Denmark DK: Gini Coefficient (GINI Index): World Bank Estimate data is updated yearly, averaging 26.700 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2015, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 28.500 % in 2013 and a record low of 24.900 % in 2004. Denmark DK: Gini Coefficient (GINI Index): World Bank Estimate data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Denmark – Table DK.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Denmark DK: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 0.200 % in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.200 % for 2014. Denmark DK: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.200 % from Dec 2003 to 2015, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.500 % in 2009 and a record low of 0.000 % in 2012. Denmark DK: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $1.90 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Denmark – Table DK.World Bank: Poverty. Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 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.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. The aggregated numbers for low- and middle-income countries correspond to the totals of 6 regions in PovcalNet, which include low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia). See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Denmark - In Work at Risk of Poverty Rate: Males was 6.40% in December of 2024, according to the EUROSTAT. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for Denmark - In Work at Risk of Poverty Rate: Males - last updated from the EUROSTAT on October of 2025. Historically, Denmark - In Work at Risk of Poverty Rate: Males reached a record high of 7.20% in December of 2011 and a record low of 4.80% in December of 2005.