Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in High income

High income: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 15.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
15.4%
Change on year
up 0.7%
Rank
13th
of 14 groups
All-time high
18.4%
in 1994
All-time low
14.7%
in 2021
Years of data
43
1982–2024

Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in High income, 1982–2024

051015201982200320241982: 17 % of population1983: 17.2 % of population1984: 17.1 % of population1985: 17 % of population1986: 17 % of population1987: 16.9 % of population1988: 16.9 % of population1989: 16.7 % of population1990: 16.9 % of population1991: 17.1 % of population1992: 17.5 % of population1993: 18.1 % of population1994: 18.4 % of population1995: 17.9 % of population1996: 18.1 % of population1997: 17.2 % of population1998: 17.2 % of population1999: 17.4 % of population2000: 17.2 % of population2001: 16.9 % of population2002: 16.9 % of population2003: 16.9 % of population2004: 16.6 % of population2005: 16.5 % of population2006: 16.5 % of population2007: 16.3 % of population2008: 16.2 % of population2009: 15.9 % of population2010: 15.8 % of population2011: 15.9 % of population2012: 15.9 % of population2013: 16 % of population2014: 15.6 % of population2015: 15.7 % of population2016: 15.8 % of population2017: 15.8 % of population2018: 15.6 % of population2019: 15.6 % of population2020: 15 % of population2021: 14.7 % of population2022: 15.3 % of population2023: 15.3 % of population2024: 15.4 % of population

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 High income stood at 15.4%.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and down 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in High income peaked at 18.4% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 14.7%, in 2021.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.

Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in High income, year by year

Annual values for Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population) in High income, 1982 to 2024.
Year % of population Change
1982 17.0%
1983 17.2% +1.2%
1984 17.1% -0.6%
1985 17.0% -0.6%
1986 17.0% +0.0%
1987 16.9% -0.6%
1988 16.9% +0.0%
1989 16.7% -1.2%
1990 16.9% +1.2%
1991 17.1% +1.2%
1992 17.5% +2.3%
1993 18.1% +3.4%
1994 18.4% +1.7%
1995 17.9% -2.7%
1996 18.1% +1.1%
1997 17.2% -5.0%
1998 17.2% +0.0%
1999 17.4% +1.2%
2000 17.2% -1.1%
2001 16.9% -1.7%
2002 16.9% +0.0%
2003 16.9% +0.0%
2004 16.6% -1.8%
2005 16.5% -0.6%
2006 16.5% +0.0%
2007 16.3% -1.2%
2008 16.2% -0.6%
2009 15.9% -1.9%
2010 15.8% -0.6%
2011 15.9% +0.6%
2012 15.9% +0.0%
2013 16.0% +0.6%
2014 15.6% -2.5%
2015 15.7% +0.6%
2016 15.8% +0.6%
2017 15.8% +0.0%
2018 15.6% -1.3%
2019 15.6% +0.0%
2020 15.0% -3.8%
2021 14.7% -2.0%
2022 15.3% +4.1%
2023 15.3% +0.0%
2024 15.4% +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 17.0% 16.7% 17.2% 8
1990s 17.6% 16.9% 18.4% 10
2000s 16.6% 15.9% 17.2% 10
2010s 15.8% 15.6% 16.0% 10
2020s 15.1% 14.7% 15.4% 5

Countries ranked near High income

  1. 10 Burkina Faso 42.1% compare
  2. 11 Nigeria 41.8% compare
  3. 12 Ghana 41.2% compare
  4. 13 Guinea-Bissau 40.4% compare
  5. 14 Rwanda 39.9% compare
  6. 15 Ethiopia 39.7% compare
  7. 16 Mali 39.4% compare

See the full ranking of 137 places →

More poverty & inequality data for High income

All data for High income →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in High income?
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in High income was 15.4% 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 High income?
The highest recorded value was 18.4% in 1994.
What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in High income?
The lowest recorded value was 14.7% in 2021.
How does High income rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
High income ranks 13th out of 14 groups with data for 2024.
Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in High income?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this High income 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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Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in High income. Statizoid, drawing on 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. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/poverty-headcount-ratio-at-societal-poverty-line-percent-of-population/high-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population)
Unit
% of population
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
137 places, 2,860 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

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.