Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day … 2011 in South Korea
South Korea: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day … 2011 was 19.7% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices) in South Korea, 2006–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 19.7% for poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices) in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 56.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices) in South Korea peaked at 47.7% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 19.7%, in 2021.
South Korea ranks 105th of 119 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day … 2011 in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 47.7% | — |
| 2008 | 46.5% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 45.5% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 40.7% | -10.4% |
| 2014 | 36.5% | -10.4% |
| 2016 | 31.2% | -14.4% |
| 2017 | 29.0% | -7.2% |
| 2018 | 27.2% | -6.0% |
| 2019 | 24.5% | -10.1% |
| 2020 | 22.0% | -10.2% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | -10.3% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 19.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 27.5%, 72% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 19.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 94.5%, 21% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.1% | 46.5% | 47.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 33.5% | 24.5% | 45.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 20.9% | 19.7% | 22.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More poverty & inequality data for South Korea
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 6 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 0.72 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,615 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 0.0454 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 26.87 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 26.9% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices) in South Korea?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices) in South Korea was 19.7% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices) recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 47.7% in 2006.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices) recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.7% in 2021.
- How does South Korea rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices)?
- South Korea ranks 105th out of 119 countries with data for 2021.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices) rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day (2011 prices). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $30 per day.