Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) was 63.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2024
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2024, poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 63.3%.
The figure is down 0.8% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 76.3% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 61.3%, in 2018.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 73.8% | — |
| 1991 | 74.6% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 75.4% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 76.2% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 76.3% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 76.1% | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 75.8% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 75.7% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 75.9% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 76.0% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 75.7% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 74.9% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 74.6% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 74.2% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 72.2% | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 70.9% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 70.1% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 69.2% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 68.2% | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 67.8% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 66.2% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 65.3% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 64.4% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 63.4% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 62.6% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 62.5% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 62.1% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 61.6% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 61.3% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 61.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 63.7% | +3.9% |
| 2021 | 64.1% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 63.7% | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 63.8% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 63.3% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 75.6% | 73.8% | 76.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.8% | 67.8% | 75.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.1% | 61.3% | 66.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.7% | 63.3% | 64.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 Mozambique 89.1% compare
- 2 Malawi 87.3% compare
- 3 Burundi 87.2% compare
- 4 Madagascar 83.9% compare
- 5 Zambia 81.4% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 45.1% (2024)
- Poverty gap at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 17.2% (2024)
- Poverty headcount ratio at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 88.6% (2024)
- Prosperity gap 11.5 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day (2024)
- Poverty gap at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 27.9% (2024)
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 48.3% (2024)
- Poverty gap at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 53.2% (2024)
- Population living in slums 53.7% (2022)
- Proportion of population below international poverty line 45.2% (2024)
- Employed population below international poverty line, by sex and age 40.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 63.3% in 2024, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 76.3% in 1994.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.3% in 2018.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 14 groups with data for 2024.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $4.20 a day at 2021 international prices.