China vs United States: Distribution of population between different poverty lines
China
77.51 million people
in 2022
United States
263.25 million people
in 2024
China rank
2nd
United States rank
1st
Distribution of population between different poverty lines over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 263.25 million people against 77.51 million people in China, a difference of 185.74 million people.
That makes United States's figure about 3.4 times China's.
Across all 23 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.
China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st of 120 countries.
United States has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 people | 146.00 million people | 146.00 million people | United States |
| 1990s | 43,980 people | 174.12 million people | 174.08 million people | United States |
| 2000s | 5.05 million people | 206.90 million people | 201.85 million people | United States |
| 2010s | 38.54 million people | 228.03 million people | 189.49 million people | United States |
| 2020s | 71.28 million people | 262.92 million people | 191.65 million people | United States |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher distribution of population between different poverty lines, China or United States?
- United States, at 263.25 million people against 77.51 million people in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in distribution of population between different poverty lines between China and United States?
- 185.74 million people, with United States ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2022.
- How do China and United States rank globally for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- China ranks 2nd and United States ranks 1st 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.