China vs Japan: Distribution of population between different poverty lines
China
77.51 million people
in 2022
Japan
68.31 million people
in 2020
China rank
2nd
Japan rank
3rd
Distribution of population between different poverty lines over time
- China
- Japan
How they compare
China currently reports 77.51 million people against 68.31 million people in Japan, a difference of 9.20 million people.
That makes China's figure about 1.1 times Japan's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 12 shared years of data; in 2008 it was Japan ahead.
China ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 3rd of 120 countries.
Japan has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Japan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.42 million people | 67.87 million people | 58.46 million people | Japan |
| 2010s | 38.54 million people | 64.88 million people | 26.34 million people | Japan |
| 2020s | 59.49 million people | 68.31 million people | 8.82 million people | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher distribution of population between different poverty lines, China or Japan?
- China, at 77.51 million people against 68.31 million people in Japan as of 2022.
- What is the difference in distribution of population between different poverty lines between China and Japan?
- 9.20 million people, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Japan?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2020.
- How do China and Japan rank globally for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- China ranks 2nd and Japan ranks 3rd of 120 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $40 per day.