China vs Spain: Share of population living in extreme poverty

China
5.0%
in 2018
Spain
2.0%
in 2018
China rank
7th
Spain rank
9th

Share of population living in extreme poverty over time

  • China
  • Spain
020406080182019192018

How they compare

China currently reports 5.0% against 2.0% in Spain, a difference of 3.0%.

That makes China's figure about 2.5 times Spain's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 21 shared years of data; in 1820 it was Spain ahead.

China ranks 7th and Spain ranks 9th of 25 countries.

Across the 20 decades both report, China averaged higher in 17 and Spain in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade China Spain Difference Ahead
1820s 76.0% 83.0% 7.0% Spain
1830s 76.0% 81.0% 5.0% Spain
1840s 77.0% 78.0% 1.0% Spain
1850s 78.0% 74.0% 4.0% China
1860s 78.0% 67.0% 11.0% China
1870s 77.0% 71.0% 6.0% China
1880s 76.0% 52.0% 24.0% China
1890s 73.0% 51.0% 22.0% China
1900s 74.0% 53.0% 21.0% China
1910s 77.0% 46.0% 31.0% China
1920s 76.0% 51.0% 25.0% China
1930s 77.0% 42.0% 35.0% China
1940s 79.0% 42.0% 37.0% China
1950s 84.0% 34.0% 50.0% China
1960s 73.0% 20.0% 53.0% China
1970s 75.0% 5.0% 70.0% China
1980s 53.0% 0.0% 53.0% China
1990s 42.0% 0.0% 42.0% China
2000s 33.0% 0.0% 33.0% China
2010s 12.0% 1.5% 10.5% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population living in extreme poverty, China or Spain?
China, at 5.0% against 2.0% in Spain as of 2018.
What is the difference in share of population living in extreme poverty between China and Spain?
3.0%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and Spain?
21 years are reported by both, from 1820 to 2018.
How do China and Spain rank globally for share of population living in extreme poverty?
China ranks 7th and Spain ranks 9th of 25 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Michalis Moatsos (2021) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living in extreme poverty. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs Spain: Share of population living in extreme poverty. Statizoid, drawing on Michalis Moatsos (2021) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-population-living-in-extreme-poverty-lines-cbn/china/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population living in extreme poverty
Unit
%
Source
Michalis Moatsos (2021) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
25 places, 525 data points, 1820–2018
Last refreshed

Share of the population unable to meet basic needs (including minimal nutrition and adequately heated shelter) according to prices of locally-available goods and services at the time..