Guatemala vs United States: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income

Guatemala
19.1%
in 2023
United States
18.9%
in 2024
Guatemala rank
15th
United States rank
16th

Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income over time

  • Guatemala
  • United States
0102030196319932024

How they compare

Guatemala currently reports 19.1% against 18.9% in United States, a difference of 0.2%.

Across all 7 years both countries report, Guatemala has been ahead every year.

Guatemala ranks 15th and United States ranks 16th of 123 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Guatemala United States Difference Ahead
1980s 26.6% 18.1% 8.5% Guatemala
1990s 23.8% 17.9% 5.9% Guatemala
2000s 22.9% 17.6% 5.3% Guatemala
2010s 19.6% 17.0% 2.6% Guatemala
2020s 19.1% 18.6% 0.5% Guatemala

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income, Guatemala or United States?
Guatemala, at 19.1% against 18.9% in United States as of 2023.
What is the difference in proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income between Guatemala and United States?
0.2%, with Guatemala ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Guatemala and United States?
7 years are reported by both, from 1986 to 2023.
How do Guatemala and United States rank globally for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
Guatemala ranks 15th and United States ranks 16th 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 Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Guatemala vs United States: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income. 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 18 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/proportion-of-people-living-below-50-percent-of-median-income-percent/guatemala/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%)
Unit
%
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
123 places, 2,300 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.