Malaysia vs United States of America: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line

Malaysia
19.9%
in 2021
United States of America
20.2%
in 2024
Malaysia rank
66th
United States of America rank
64th

Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line over time

  • Malaysia
  • United States of America
0102030196319932024

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 20.2% against 19.9% in Malaysia, a difference of 0.3%.

Across all 14 years both countries report, Malaysia has been ahead every year.

Malaysia ranks 66th and United States of America ranks 64th of 123 countries.

Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malaysia United States of America Difference Ahead
1980s 28.7% 19.6% 9.1% Malaysia
1990s 28.5% 19.5% 9.0% Malaysia
2000s 26.1% 19.5% 6.6% Malaysia
2010s 21.1% 19.4% 1.8% Malaysia
2020s 19.9% 16.7% 3.2% Malaysia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line, Malaysia or United States of America?
United States of America, at 20.2% against 19.9% in Malaysia as of 2024.
What is the difference in poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line between Malaysia and United States of America?
0.3%, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and United States of America?
14 years are reported by both, from 1984 to 2021.
How do Malaysia and United States of America rank globally for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
Malaysia ranks 66th and United States of America ranks 64th 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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Malaysia vs United States of America: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line. Statizoid, drawing on 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. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/poverty-headcount-ratio-at-societal-poverty-line-percent-of-population/malaysia/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
137 places, 2,860 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

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.