China vs United Kingdom: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median
China
12.2%
in 2022
United Kingdom
11.7%
in 2021
China rank
52nd
United Kingdom rank
55th
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median over time
- China
- United Kingdom
How they compare
China currently reports 12.2% against 11.7% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.5%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 22 shared years of data; in 1981 it was China ahead.
China ranks 52nd and United Kingdom ranks 55th of 120 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and United Kingdom in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.7% | 9.2% | 0.5% | China |
| 1990s | 11.0% | 12.9% | 1.9% | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 17.4% | 12.4% | 5.0% | China |
| 2010s | 16.2% | 11.9% | 4.3% | China |
| 2020s | 11.9% | 11.6% | 0.4% | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median, China or United Kingdom?
- China, at 12.2% against 11.7% in United Kingdom as of 2022.
- What is the difference in relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median between China and United Kingdom?
- 0.5%, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United Kingdom?
- 22 years are reported by both, from 1981 to 2021.
- How do China and United Kingdom rank globally for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- China ranks 52nd and United Kingdom ranks 55th 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 50% of the median. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 50% of the median.