Main Content

Field Listing :: Population below poverty line
National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations.
By Country Listing of the values for the Population below poverty line field
Country Population below poverty line
Afghanistan
54.5% (2017 est.)
Albania
14.3% (2012 est.)
Algeria
23% (2006 est.)
American Samoa
NA
Angola
36.6% (2008 est.)
Anguilla
23% (2002 est.)
Antigua and Barbuda
NA
Argentina
25.7% (2017 est.)

note: data are based on private estimates

Armenia
32% (2013 est.)
Aruba
NA
Australia
NA
Austria
3% (2017 est.)
Azerbaijan
4.9% (2015 est.)
Bahamas, The
9.3% (2010 est.)
Bahrain
NA
Bangladesh
24.3% (2016 est.)
Barbados
NA
Belarus
5.7% (2016 est.)
Belgium
15.1% (2013 est.)
Belize
41% (2013 est.)
Benin
36.2% (2011 est.)
Bermuda
11% (2008 est.)
Bhutan
12% (2012 est.)
Bolivia
38.6% (2015 est.)

note: based on percent of population living on less than the international standard of $2/day

Bosnia and Herzegovina
16.9% (2015 est.)
Botswana
19.3% (2009 est.)
Brazil
4.2% (2016 est.)

note: approximately 4% of the population are below the "extreme" poverty line

British Virgin Islands
NA
Brunei
NA
Bulgaria
23.4% (2016 est.)
Burkina Faso
40.1% (2009 est.)
Burma
25.6% (2016 est.)
Burundi
64.6% (2014 est.)
Cabo Verde
30% (2000 est.)
Cambodia
16.5% (2016 est.)
Cameroon
30% (2001 est.)
Canada
9.4% (2008 est.)

note: this figure is the Low Income Cut-Off, a calculation that results in higher figures than found in many comparable economies; Canada does not have an official poverty line

Cayman Islands
NA
Central African Republic
62% NA (2008 est.)
Chad
46.7% (2011 est.)
Chile
14.4% (2013)
China
3.3% (2016 est.)

note: in 2011, China set a new poverty line at RMB 2300 (approximately US $400)

Colombia
28% (2017 est.)
Comoros
44.8% (2004 est.)
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
63% (2014 est.)
Congo, Republic of the
46.5% (2011 est.)
Cook Islands
NA
Costa Rica
21.7% (2014 est.)
Cote d'Ivoire
46.3% (2015 est.)
Croatia
19.5% (2015 est.)
Cuba
NA
Cyprus
NA
Czechia
9.7% (2015 est.)
Denmark
13.4% (2011 est.)

note: excludes students

Djibouti
23% (2015 est.)

note: percent of population below $1.25 per day at purchasing power parity

Dominica
29% (2009 est.)
Dominican Republic
30.5% (2016 est.)
Ecuador
21.5% (December 2017 est.)
Egypt
27.8% (2016 est.)
El Salvador
32.7% (2016 est.)
Equatorial Guinea
44% (2011 est.)
Eritrea
50% (2004 est.)
Estonia
21.1% (2016 est.)
Eswatini
63% (2010 est.)
Ethiopia
29.6% (2014 est.)
European Union
9.8% (2013 est.)

note: see individual country entries of member states

Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas)
NA
Faroe Islands
10% (2015 est.)
Fiji
31% (2009 est.)
France
14.2% (2015 est.)
French Polynesia
19.7% (2009 est.)
Gabon
34.3% (2015 est.)
Gambia, The
48.4% (2010 est.)
Gaza Strip
30% (2011 est.)

note: data exclude the West Bank

Georgia
9.2% (2010 est.)
Germany
16.7% (2015 est.)
Ghana
24.2% (2013 est.)
Gibraltar
NA
Greece
36% (2014 est.)
Greenland
16.2% (2015 est.)
Grenada
38% (2008 est.)
Guam
23% (2001 est.)
Guatemala
59.3% (2014 est.)
Guernsey
NA
Guinea
47% (2006 est.)
Guinea-Bissau
67% (2015 est.)
Guyana
35% (2006 est.)
Haiti
58.5% (2012 est.)
Holy See (Vatican City)
NA
Honduras
29.6% (2014)
Hong Kong
19.9% (2016 est.)
Hungary
14.9% (2015 est.)
Iceland
NA

note: 332,100 families (2011 est.)

India
21.9% (2011 est.)
Indonesia
10.9% (2016 est.)
Iran
18.7% (2007 est.)
Iraq
23% (2014 est.)
Ireland
8.2% (2013 est.)
Isle of Man
NA
Israel
22% (2014 est.) (2014 est.)

note: Israel's poverty line is $7.30 per person per day

Italy
29.9% (2012 est.)
Jamaica
17.1% (2016 est.)
Japan
16.1% (2013 est.)
Jersey
NA
Jordan
14.2% (2002 est.)
Kazakhstan
2.6% (2016 est.)
Kenya
36.1% (2016 est.)
Kiribati
NA
Korea, North
NA
Korea, South
14.4% (2016 est.)
Kosovo
17.6% (2015 est.)
Kuwait
NA
Kyrgyzstan
32.1% (2015 est.)
Laos
22% (2013 est.)
Latvia
25.5% (2015)
Lebanon
28.6% (2004 est.)
Lesotho
57% (2016 est.)
Liberia
54.1% (2014 est.)
Libya

note: about one-third of Libyans live at or below the national poverty line

Liechtenstein
NA
Lithuania
22.2% (2015 est.)
Luxembourg
NA
Macau
NA
Madagascar
70.7% (2012 est.)
Malawi
50.7% (2010 est.)
Malaysia
3.8% (2009 est.)
Maldives
15% (2009 est.)
Mali
36.1% (2005 est.)
Malta
16.3% (2015 est.)
Marshall Islands
NA
Mauritania
31% (2014 est.)
Mauritius
8% (2006 est.)
Mexico
46.2% (2014 est.)

note: from a food-based definition of poverty; asset-based poverty amounted to more than 47%

Micronesia, Federated States of
26.7% (2000 est.)
Moldova
9.6% (2015 est.)
Monaco
NA
Mongolia
29.6% (2016 est.)
Montenegro
8.6% (2013 est.)
Montserrat
NA
Morocco
15% (2007 est.)
Mozambique
46.1% (2015 est.)
Namibia
28.7% (2010 est.)
Nauru
NA
Nepal
25.2% (2011 est.)
Netherlands
8.8% (2015 est.)
New Caledonia
17% (2008)
New Zealand
NA
Nicaragua
29.6% (2015 est.)
Niger
45.4% (2014 est.)
Nigeria
70% (2010 est.)
Niue
NA
North Macedonia
21.5% (2015 est.)
Northern Mariana Islands
NA
Norway
NA
Oman
NA
Pakistan
29.5% (FY2013 est.)
Palau
24.9% NA (2006)
Panama
23% (2015 est.)
Papua New Guinea
37% (2002 est.)
Paraguay
22.2% (2015 est.)
Peru
22.7% (2014 est.)
Philippines
21.6% (2017 est.)
Poland
17.6% (2015 est.)
Portugal
19% (2015 est.)
Puerto Rico
NA
Qatar
NA
Romania
22.4% (2012 est.)
Russia
13.3% (2015 est.)
Rwanda
39.1% (2015 est.)
Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha
NA
Saint Kitts and Nevis
NA
Saint Lucia
NA
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
NA
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
NA
Samoa
NA
San Marino
NA
Sao Tome and Principe
66.2% (2009 est.)
Saudi Arabia
NA
Senegal
46.7% (2011 est.)
Serbia
8.9% (2014 est.)
Seychelles
39.3% (2013 est.)
Sierra Leone
70.2% (2004 est.)
Singapore
NA
Slovakia
12.3% (2015 est.)
Slovenia
13.9% (2016 est.)
Solomon Islands
NA
Somalia
NA
South Africa
16.6% (2016 est.)
South Sudan
66% (2015 est.)
Spain
21.1% (2012 est.)
Sri Lanka
6.7% (2012 est.)
Sudan
46.5% (2009 est.)
Suriname
70% (2002 est.)
Sweden
15% (2014 est.)
Switzerland
6.6% (2014 est.)
Syria
82.5% (2014 est.)
Taiwan
1.5% (2012 est.)
Tajikistan
31.5% (2016 est.)
Tanzania
22.8% (2015 est.)
Thailand
7.2% (2015 est.)
Timor-Leste
41.8% (2014 est.)
Togo
55.1% (2015 est.)
Tokelau
NA
Tonga
22.5% (2010 est.)
Trinidad and Tobago
20% (2014 est.)
Tunisia
15.5% (2010 est.)
Turkey
21.9% (2015 est.)
Turkmenistan
0.2% (2012 est.)
Turks and Caicos Islands
NA
Tuvalu
26.3% (2010 est.)
Uganda
21.4% (2017 est.)
Ukraine
3.8% (2016 est.)
United Arab Emirates
19.5% (2003 est.)
United Kingdom
15% (2013 est.)
United States
15.1% (2010 est.)
Uruguay
9.7% (2015 est.)
Uzbekistan
14% (2016 est.)
Vanuatu
NA
Venezuela
19.7% (2015 est.)
Vietnam
8% (2017 est.)
Virgin Islands
28.9% (2002 est.)
Wallis and Futuna
NA
West Bank
18% (2011 est.)
Western Sahara
NA
Yemen
54% (2014 est.)
Zambia
54.4% (2015 est.)
Zimbabwe
72.3% (2012 est.)