Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 23.1% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Bangladesh, 1983–2022
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 2022, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Bangladesh stood at 23.1%. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is down 30.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Bangladesh peaked at 51.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 23.1%, in 2022.
That places Bangladesh 49th out of 123 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 47.1% | — |
| 1985 | 41.4% | -12.1% |
| 1988 | 51.1% | +23.4% |
| 1991 | 51.2% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 43.4% | -15.2% |
| 2000 | 41.4% | -4.6% |
| 2005 | 36.6% | -11.6% |
| 2010 | 33.3% | -9.0% |
| 2016 | 31.2% | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 23.1% | -26.0% |
Bangladesh compared with similar countries
- Bangladesh's 23.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.3%, 82% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Bangladesh's 23.1% is above the median for South Asia, which is 21.3%, 1.1× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 46.5% | 41.4% | 51.1% | 3 |
| 1990s | 47.3% | 43.4% | 51.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 39.0% | 36.6% | 41.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 32.2% | 31.2% | 33.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 23.1% | 23.1% | 23.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 47 Israel 23.5% compare
- 48 North Macedonia 23.3% compare
- 49 Morocco 23.1% compare
- 49 Palestine, State of 23.1% compare
- 52 Sri Lanka 22.8% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Bangladesh
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 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 2.16 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 5,408 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 1.64 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 7.29 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 7.3% (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 societal poverty line in Bangladesh?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Bangladesh was 23.1% in 2022, 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 societal poverty line recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 51.2% in 1991.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.1% in 2022.
- How does Bangladesh rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Bangladesh ranks 49th out of 123 countries with data for 2022.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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 societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.