Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Brazil
Brazil: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 26.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Brazil, 1981–2024
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 societal poverty line in Brazil stood at 26.2%.
That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Brazil peaked at 42.2% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 23.4%, in 2020.
Brazil ranks 38th of 123 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 40 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Brazil, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 39.1% | — |
| 1982 | 39.5% | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 42.2% | +6.8% |
| 1984 | 41.7% | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 40.2% | -3.6% |
| 1986 | 34.4% | -14.4% |
| 1987 | 37.8% | +9.9% |
| 1988 | 38.7% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 37.9% | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 39.4% | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 38.5% | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 38.6% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 34.8% | -9.8% |
| 1996 | 35.7% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 35.9% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 34.9% | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 35.5% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 34.5% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 34.3% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 34.4% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 33.6% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 33.0% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 31.8% | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 31.7% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 30.3% | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 30.2% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 29.1% | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 29.2% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 28.1% | -3.8% |
| 2014 | 27.7% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 27.8% | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 28.7% | +3.2% |
| 2017 | 29.1% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 29.0% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 29.2% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 23.4% | -19.9% |
| 2021 | 28.8% | +23.1% |
| 2022 | 27.1% | -5.9% |
| 2023 | 27.0% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 26.2% | -3.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 39.1% | 34.4% | 42.2% | 9 |
| 1990s | 36.7% | 34.8% | 39.4% | 8 |
| 2000s | 32.6% | 30.2% | 34.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 28.7% | 27.7% | 29.2% | 9 |
| 2020s | 26.5% | 23.4% | 28.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
- 35 Mauritania 27.6% compare
- 36 Panama 27.0% compare
- 37 Ecuador 26.3% compare
- 39 Tajikistan 26.0% compare
- 40 Peru 25.4% compare
- 41 Lao People's Democratic Republic 25.3% compare
- 41 Philippines 25.3% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Brazil
- 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 5,003 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 -6.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 32.73 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 32.7% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Brazil?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Brazil was 26.2% 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 societal poverty line recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 42.2% in 1983.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.4% in 2020.
- How does Brazil rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Brazil ranks 38th out of 123 countries with data for 2024.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil 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.
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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.