China vs United States: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population)
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population) over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
United States currently reports 20.2% against 19.7% in China, a difference of 0.5%.
Across all 23 years both countries report, China has been ahead every year.
China ranks 66th and United States ranks 63rd of 123 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 89.8% | 19.2% | 70.6% | China |
| 1990s | 70.4% | 19.7% | 50.7% | China |
| 2000s | 41.3% | 19.5% | 21.8% | China |
| 2010s | 27.4% | 19.4% | 8.0% | China |
| 2020s | 20.0% | 18.1% | 1.8% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line, China or United States?
- United States, at 20.2% against 19.7% in China as of 2024.
- What is the difference in poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line between China and United States?
- 0.5%, 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 poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- China ranks 66th and United States ranks 63rd of 123 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
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About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.