Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) in United States of America
United States of America: Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) was 1.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) in United States of America, 1963–2024
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
The most recent figure for poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) in United States of America is 1.2%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.3% on the previous year and down 20.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) in United States of America peaked at 2.1% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2020.
That places United States of America 76th out of 123 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 62 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 2.1% | — |
| 1964 | 2.0% | -4.8% |
| 1965 | 1.8% | -10.0% |
| 1966 | 1.7% | -5.6% |
| 1967 | 1.5% | -11.8% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | -20.0% |
| 1969 | 1.0% | -16.7% |
| 1970 | 1.4% | +40.0% |
| 1971 | 1.2% | -14.3% |
| 1972 | 1.1% | -8.3% |
| 1973 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 1.0% | -9.1% |
| 1976 | 0.9% | -10.0% |
| 1977 | 0.9% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 0.8% | -11.1% |
| 1979 | 0.9% | +12.5% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | -22.2% |
| 1981 | 0.8% | +14.3% |
| 1982 | 1.0% | +25.0% |
| 1983 | 0.9% | -10.0% |
| 1984 | 0.8% | -11.1% |
| 1985 | 0.9% | +12.5% |
| 1986 | 0.8% | -11.1% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.7% | -12.5% |
| 1989 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 0.8% | +14.3% |
| 1992 | 0.8% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.8% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +12.5% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | -11.1% |
| 1997 | 0.9% | +12.5% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | +11.1% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | -20.0% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | +12.5% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | +22.2% |
| 2002 | 1.1% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | +9.1% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +8.3% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | -15.4% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | +18.2% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | +15.4% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | -7.1% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | +15.4% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -58.3% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | +20.0% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | +150.0% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -14.3% |
United States of America compared with similar countries
- United States of America's 1.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.6%, 2.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) in United States of America changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +150.0% | 0.6% | 1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1.6% | 1.0% | 2.1% | 7 |
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.5% | 1.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More poverty & inequality data for United States of America
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 9 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 1.62 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 8,414 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 24.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 24.8% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) in United States of America?
- Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) in United States of America was 1.2% 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 United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 2.1% in 1963.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2020.
- How does United States of America rank for poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp)?
- United States of America ranks 76th out of 123 countries with data for 2024.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 ppp) rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States of America 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.