Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Latin America & Caribbean
Latin America & Caribbean: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 25.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Latin America & Caribbean, 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
Latin America & Caribbean recorded 25.5% for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.
The figure is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Latin America & Caribbean peaked at 36.0% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 2024.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Latin America & Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 34.5% | — |
| 1982 | 34.8% | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 36.0% | +3.4% |
| 1984 | 35.7% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 35.3% | -1.1% |
| 1986 | 33.3% | -5.7% |
| 1987 | 34.5% | +3.6% |
| 1988 | 34.4% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 34.1% | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 34.6% | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 34.2% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 34.2% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 34.7% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 34.5% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 34.1% | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 34.8% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 34.8% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 34.5% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 34.8% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 34.2% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 34.1% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 33.9% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 33.4% | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 32.7% | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 32.3% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 31.2% | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 30.6% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 30.0% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 29.7% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 28.9% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 28.4% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 28.4% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 27.9% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 27.5% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 27.1% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 27.3% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 26.9% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 27.1% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 25.9% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 26.8% | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 25.8% | -3.7% |
| 2023 | 25.8% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 25.5% | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 34.7% | 33.3% | 36.0% | 9 |
| 1990s | 34.5% | 34.1% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.2% | 29.7% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.7% | 26.9% | 28.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.0% | 25.5% | 26.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean
- 4 Zambia 71.7% compare
- 5 Madagascar 69.2% compare
- 6 Niger 60.5% compare
- 7 Uganda 59.8% compare
- 8 Tanzania, United Republic of 51.3% compare
- 9 Kenya 45.5% compare
- 10 Burkina Faso 42.1% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Latin America & Caribbean
- Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 4.3% (2024)
- Poverty gap at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) 1.5% (2024)
- Poverty headcount ratio at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 8.0% (2024)
- Poverty headcount ratio at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 24.7% (2024)
- Prosperity gap 3.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day (2024)
- Poverty gap at $4.20 a day (2021 PPP) 2.8% (2024)
- Poverty gap at $8.30 a day (2021 PPP) 9.3% (2024)
- Population living in slums 18.9% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Latin America & Caribbean was 25.5% 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 Latin America & Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 36.0% in 1983.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Latin America & Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 2024.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Latin America & Caribbean ranks 7th out of 14 groups with data for 2024.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean 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.