Distribution of population between different poverty lines in India
India: Distribution of population between different poverty lines was 142.20 million people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Distribution of population between different poverty lines in India, 1977–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2022, distribution of population between different poverty lines in India stood at 142.20 million people. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
That represents a change of up 159.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, distribution of population between different poverty lines in India peaked at 142.20 million people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 10.29 million people, in 1977.
That places India 4th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10.29 million people | 10.29 million people | 10.29 million people | 1 |
| 1980s | 12.75 million people | 11.22 million people | 14.28 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 12.53 million people | 12.53 million people | 12.53 million people | 1 |
| 2000s | 28.93 million people | 23.64 million people | 34.23 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 54.89 million people | 54.89 million people | 54.89 million people | 1 |
| 2020s | 142.20 million people | 142.20 million people | 142.20 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near India
More poverty & inequality data for India
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.98 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 3,632 kg per hectare (2024)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 17.3% (2023)
- Gender Inequality Index 0.403 (2023)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 7.4% (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.1281 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.1281 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.1407 (2023)
- Income inequality: Atkinson index 0.3736 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is distribution of population between different poverty lines in India?
- Distribution of population between different poverty lines in India was 142.20 million people in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 142.20 million people in 2022.
- What is the lowest distribution of population between different poverty lines recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.29 million people in 1977.
- How does India rank for distribution of population between different poverty lines?
- India ranks 4th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is distribution of population between different poverty lines rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 159.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Distribution of population between different poverty lines. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $10 per day.