Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in East Asia & Pacific
East Asia & Pacific: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 19.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in East Asia & Pacific, 1984–2024
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 societal poverty line in East Asia & Pacific is 19.8%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 24.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in East Asia & Pacific peaked at 75.9% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 19.8%, in 2024.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 41 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in East Asia & Pacific, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 75.9% | — |
| 1985 | 73.8% | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 72.1% | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 69.6% | -3.5% |
| 1988 | 65.9% | -5.3% |
| 1989 | 70.6% | +7.1% |
| 1990 | 69.8% | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 68.7% | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 67.2% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 65.7% | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 62.1% | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 58.6% | -5.6% |
| 1996 | 55.0% | -6.1% |
| 1997 | 54.3% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 54.6% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 52.0% | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 49.5% | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 47.1% | -4.8% |
| 2002 | 43.1% | -8.5% |
| 2003 | 39.8% | -7.7% |
| 2004 | 38.3% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 36.2% | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 36.2% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 34.8% | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 34.1% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 33.1% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 32.2% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 30.6% | -5.0% |
| 2012 | 29.7% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 27.1% | -8.8% |
| 2014 | 26.2% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 25.2% | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 24.6% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 24.1% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 23.4% | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 22.5% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 21.8% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 20.6% | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 20.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 20.1% | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 19.8% | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 71.3% | 65.9% | 75.9% | 6 |
| 1990s | 60.8% | 52.0% | 69.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 39.2% | 33.1% | 49.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.6% | 22.5% | 32.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 19.8% | 21.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific
- 8 Tanzania, United Republic of 51.3% compare
- 9 Kenya 45.5% compare
- 10 Burkina Faso 42.1% compare
- 11 Nigeria 41.8% compare
- 12 Ghana 41.2% compare
- 13 Guinea-Bissau 40.4% compare
- 14 Rwanda 39.9% compare
More poverty & inequality data for East Asia & Pacific
- Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 2.0% (2024)
- Poverty gap at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 0.4% (2024)
- Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 5.5% (2024)
- Poverty headcount ratio at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 26.4% (2024)
- Prosperity gap 2.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day (2024)
- Poverty gap at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 1.3% (2024)
- Poverty gap at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 8.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in East Asia & Pacific?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in East Asia & Pacific was 19.8% 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 East Asia & Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 75.9% in 1984.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in East Asia & Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.8% in 2024.
- How does East Asia & Pacific rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- East Asia & Pacific ranks 11th out of 14 groups with data for 2024.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this East Asia & Pacific 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.