Guatemala vs United States of America: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median

Guatemala
12.9%
in 2023
United States of America
12.1%
in 2024
Guatemala rank
11th
United States of America rank
14th

Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median over time

  • Guatemala
  • United States of America
05101520196319932024

How they compare

Guatemala currently reports 12.9% against 12.1% in United States of America, a difference of 0.8%.

That makes Guatemala's figure about 1.1 times United States of America's.

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

Guatemala ranks 11th and United States of America ranks 14th of 120 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Guatemala United States of America Difference Ahead
1980s 20.8% 12.4% 8.3% Guatemala
1990s 17.6% 11.7% 5.9% Guatemala
2000s 16.7% 11.4% 5.3% Guatemala
2010s 13.0% 10.7% 2.3% Guatemala
2020s 12.9% 11.9% 1.0% Guatemala

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median, Guatemala or United States of America?
Guatemala, at 12.9% against 12.1% in United States of America as of 2023.
What is the difference in relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median between Guatemala and United States of America?
0.8%, with Guatemala ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Guatemala and United States of America?
7 years are reported by both, from 1986 to 2023.
How do Guatemala and United States of America rank globally for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median?
Guatemala ranks 11th and United States of America ranks 14th 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 Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Guatemala vs United States of America: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/relative-poverty-share-of-people-below-40-of-the-median/guatemala/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median
Unit
%
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 40% of the median.