Malta vs Portugal: Share of population living below national poverty lines
Malta
16.7%
in 2021
Portugal
16.4%
in 2021
Malta rank
38th
Portugal rank
40th
Share of population living below national poverty lines over time
- Malta
- Portugal
How they compare
Malta currently reports 16.7% against 16.4% in Portugal, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2004 it was Portugal ahead.
Malta ranks 38th and Portugal ranks 40th of 70 countries.
Portugal has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malta | Portugal | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.9% | 18.4% | 3.5% | Portugal |
| 2010s | 16.3% | 18.2% | 1.9% | Portugal |
| 2020s | 16.8% | 17.4% | 0.6% | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population living below national poverty lines, Malta or Portugal?
- Malta, at 16.7% against 16.4% in Portugal as of 2021.
- What is the difference in share of population living below national poverty lines between Malta and Portugal?
- 0.3%, with Malta ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malta and Portugal?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2021.
- How do Malta and Portugal rank globally for share of population living below national poverty lines?
- Malta ranks 38th and Portugal ranks 40th of 70 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Share of population living below national poverty lines. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty lines. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.