World poverty rate for 2022 was 44.90%, a 0.8% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>World poverty rate for 2021 was <strong>45.70%</strong>, a <strong>1.5% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>World poverty rate for 2020 was <strong>47.20%</strong>, a <strong>0.9% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>World poverty rate for 2019 was <strong>46.30%</strong>, a <strong>1.1% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>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.

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.

Over the past three decades, the number of people living on less than 2.15 U.S. dollars a day in terms of 2017 Purchasing Power Parities has fallen remarkably. Whereas around two billion people lived on less than this amount a day in 1990, the number had fallen to around 711 million by 2022. Although much progress has been made and this figure is falling, this number increased slightly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, going from around 689 million in 2019 to 762 million in 2020 and 749 million by 2021.

Data Series: Proportion of population below international poverty line Indicator: I.14 - Proportion of the population living below the international poverty line by sex, age, employment status and geographic location (urban/rural) Source year: 2024 This dataset is part of the Minimum Gender Dataset compiled by the United Nations Statistics Division. Domain: Economic structures, participation in productive activities and access to resources

Over the past 30 years, there has been an almost constant reduction in the poverty rate worldwide. Whereas nearly 38 percent of the world's population lived on less than 2.15 U.S. dollars in terms of 2017 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) in 1990, this had fallen to 8.7 percent in 2022. This is despite the fact that the world's population was growing over the same period. However, there was a small increase in the poverty rate during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, when thousands of people became unemployed overnight. Moreover, rising cost of living in the aftermath of the pandemic and spurred by the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 meant that many people were struggling to make ends meet. Poverty is a regional problem Poverty can be measured in relative and absolute terms. Absolute poverty concerns basic human needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and clean drinking water, whereas relative poverty looks at whether people in different countries can afford a certain living standard. Most countries that have a high percentage of their population living in absolute poverty, meaning that they are poor compared to international standards, are regionally concentrated. African countries are most represented among the countries in which poverty prevails the most. In terms of numbers, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia have the most people living in poverty worldwide. Inequality on the rise How wealth, or the lack thereof, is distributed within the global population and even within countries is very unequal. In 2022, the richest one percent of the world owned almost half of the global wealth, while the poorest 50 percent owned less than two percent in the same year. Within regions, Latin America had the most unequal distribution of wealth but this phenomenon is present in all world regions.

Brazil poverty rate for 2022 was 23.50%, a 4.9% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Brazil poverty rate for 2021 was <strong>28.40%</strong>, a <strong>9.7% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Brazil poverty rate for 2020 was <strong>18.70%</strong>, a <strong>7.5% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Brazil poverty rate for 2019 was <strong>26.20%</strong>, a <strong>0.5% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>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.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Mexico was reported at 36.3 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Mexico - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Botswana poverty rate for 2015 was 63.50%, a 3.1% increase from 2009.

• Botswana poverty rate for 2009 was 60.40%, a 8.2% decline from 2002.
• Botswana poverty rate for 2002 was 68.60%, a 9.7% decline from 1993.
• Botswana poverty rate for 1993 was 78.30%, a 5.3% decline from 1985.

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.

Colombia poverty rate for 2022 was 34.80%, a 4% decline from 2021.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Colombia poverty rate for 2021 was <strong>38.80%</strong>, a <strong>3.4% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Colombia poverty rate for 2020 was <strong>42.20%</strong>, a <strong>7.4% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Colombia poverty rate for 2019 was <strong>34.80%</strong>, a <strong>0.9% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
</ul>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.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Nigeria was reported at 40.1 % in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

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.

Bulgaria poverty rate for 2021 was 5.80%, a 1.3% increase from 2020.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Bulgaria poverty rate for 2020 was <strong>4.50%</strong>, a <strong>2.7% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
<li>Bulgaria poverty rate for 2019 was <strong>7.20%</strong>, a <strong>0.8% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>Bulgaria poverty rate for 2018 was <strong>8.00%</strong>, a <strong>1.4% decline</strong> from 2017.</li>
</ul>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.

Ecuador poverty rate for 2023 was 29.60%, a 0.3% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Ecuador poverty rate for 2022 was <strong>29.90%</strong>, a <strong>1.8% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Ecuador poverty rate for 2021 was <strong>31.70%</strong>, a <strong>2.9% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Ecuador poverty rate for 2020 was <strong>34.60%</strong>, a <strong>4.9% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>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.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Costa Rica was reported at 24.4 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Costa Rica - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Norway poverty rate for 2019 was 0.50%, a 0% increase from 2018.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Norway poverty rate for 2018 was <strong>0.50%</strong>, a <strong>0.1% decline</strong> from 2017.</li>
<li>Norway poverty rate for 2017 was <strong>0.60%</strong>, a <strong>0.1% decline</strong> from 2016.</li>
<li>Norway poverty rate for 2016 was <strong>0.70%</strong>, a <strong>0.3% increase</strong> from 2015.</li>
</ul>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.

Jamaica poverty rate for 2021 was 13.90%, a 4.8% increase from 2018.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Jamaica poverty rate for 2018 was <strong>9.10%</strong>, a <strong>20% decline</strong> from 2004.</li>
<li>Jamaica poverty rate for 2004 was <strong>29.10%</strong>, a <strong>4.2% decline</strong> from 2002.</li>
<li>Jamaica poverty rate for 2002 was <strong>33.30%</strong>, a <strong>2.9% increase</strong> from 1999.</li>
</ul>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.

Population below poverty level of Hawaii rose by 4.40% from 135,941 number in 2022 to 141,925 number in 2024. Since the 4.99% decline in 2019, population below poverty level leapt by 8.63% in 2024.

Average Monthly Poverty Line per Capita: South Papua data was reported at 519,979.000 IDR in 2024. Average Monthly Poverty Line per Capita: South Papua data is updated yearly, averaging 519,979.000 IDR from Dec 2024 (Median) to 2024, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 519,979.000 IDR in 2024 and a record low of 519,979.000 IDR in 2024. Average Monthly Poverty Line per Capita: South Papua data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Indonesia. The data is categorized under Indonesia Premium Database’s Socio and Demographic – Table ID.GAE014: Poverty Line: by Province.

Average Monthly Poverty Line per Capita: Papua Mountains data was reported at 1,007,060.000 IDR in 2024. Average Monthly Poverty Line per Capita: Papua Mountains data is updated yearly, averaging 1,007,060.000 IDR from Dec 2024 (Median) to 2024, with 1 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,007,060.000 IDR in 2024 and a record low of 1,007,060.000 IDR in 2024. Average Monthly Poverty Line per Capita: Papua Mountains data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics Indonesia. The data is categorized under Indonesia Premium Database’s Socio and Demographic – Table ID.GAE014: Poverty Line: by Province.

Poverty rate of South Dakota decreased by 4.07% from 12.30 % in 2022 to 11.80 % in 2024. Since the 0.71% rise in 2014, poverty rate sank by 16.90% in 2024.