Number of people living in extreme poverty: September 2024 data vs. latest data in South Korea

South Korea: Number of people living in extreme poverty: September 2024 data vs. latest data was 51,770 people in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
51,770 people
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
79th
of 120 countries
All-time high
250,999 people
in 2012
All-time low
51,770 people
in 2021
Years of data
11
2006–2021

Number of people living in extreme poverty: September 2024 data vs. latest data in South Korea, 2006–2021

50.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k2006201320212006: 242.2k people2008: 245.3k people2010: 247.8k people2012: 251.0k people2014: 152.2k people2016: 102.4k people2017: 102.7k people2018: 103.2k people2019: 103.5k people2020: 51.8k people2021: 51.8k people

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

South Korea recorded 51,770 people for number of people living in extreme poverty: september 2024 data vs. latest data in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 79.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty: september 2024 data vs. latest data in South Korea peaked at 250,999 people in 2012 and was at its lowest, 51,770 people, in 2021.

That places South Korea 79th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 243,732 people 242,191 people 245,274 people 2
2010s 151,839 people 102,436 people 250,999 people 7
2020s 51,803 people 51,770 people 51,836 people 2

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 76 Bulgaria 65,175 people compare
  2. 77 Greece 61,849 people compare
  3. 78 Russia 60,539 people compare
  4. 80 Austria 48,236 people compare
  5. 81 France 47,672 people compare
  6. 82 Portugal 43,716 people compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More poverty & inequality data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of people living in extreme poverty: september 2024 data vs. latest data in South Korea?
Number of people living in extreme poverty: september 2024 data vs. latest data in South Korea was 51,770 people in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty: september 2024 data vs. latest data recorded in South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 250,999 people in 2012.
What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty: september 2024 data vs. latest data recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 51,770 people in 2021.
How does South Korea rank for number of people living in extreme poverty: september 2024 data vs. latest data?
South Korea ranks 79th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
Is number of people living in extreme poverty: september 2024 data vs. latest data rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 79.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea 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 Number of people living in extreme poverty: September 2024 data vs. latest data. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Number of people living in extreme poverty: September 2024 data vs. latest data
Unit
people
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

Number of people living in households with an income or consumption below $3 per day.