Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Korea
South Korea: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day was 16.3% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Korea, 2006–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 16.3% for poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is down 9.9% on the previous year and down 58.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Korea peaked at 41.5% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 16.3%, in 2021.
South Korea ranks 100th of 120 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 $30 a day in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 41.5% | — |
| 2008 | 39.7% | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 39.4% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 34.5% | -12.4% |
| 2014 | 31.0% | -10.1% |
| 2016 | 27.1% | -12.6% |
| 2017 | 25.1% | -7.4% |
| 2018 | 22.9% | -8.8% |
| 2019 | 20.4% | -10.9% |
| 2020 | 18.1% | -11.3% |
| 2021 | 16.3% | -9.9% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 16.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 19.3%, 85% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 16.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 89.0%, 18% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.6% | 39.7% | 41.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 28.6% | 20.4% | 39.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 17.2% | 16.3% | 18.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More poverty & inequality data for South Korea
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 6 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ 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 in South Korea?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day in South Korea was 16.3% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 41.5% in 2006.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.3% in 2021.
- How does South Korea rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day?
- South Korea ranks 100th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $30 a day rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 58.6%. 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 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $30 a day. 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.