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