Proportion of population below international poverty line in Americas

Americas: Proportion of population below international poverty line was 3.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
3.1%
Change on year
down 6.1%
Rank
22nd
of 35 groups
All-time high
14.4%
in 1983
All-time low
3.1%
in 2024
Years of data
44
1981–2024

Proportion of population below international poverty line in Americas, 1981–2024

2.557.51012.5151981200220241981: 12.11982: 12.61983: 14.41984: 14.31985: 13.41986: 10.31987: 12.11988: 12.41989: 121990: 12.91991: 12.61992: 12.71993: 12.71994: 12.31995: 11.71996: 12.61997: 12.31998: 12.21999: 12.42000: 11.52001: 11.52002: 112003: 10.72004: 9.92005: 9.32006: 7.92007: 7.12008: 6.62009: 6.32010: 5.72011: 5.22012: 5.12013: 4.72014: 4.52015: 4.22016: 4.32017: 4.32018: 4.22019: 4.32020: 3.82021: 4.12022: 3.72023: 3.32024: 3.1

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Americas recorded 3.1% for proportion of population below international poverty line in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 44 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.1% on the previous year and down 31.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in Americas peaked at 14.4% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 3.1%, in 2024.

That places Americas 22nd out of 35 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 44 years of available data.

Proportion of population below international poverty line in Americas, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Americas, 1981 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1981 12.1%
1982 12.6% +4.1%
1983 14.4% +14.3%
1984 14.3% -0.7%
1985 13.4% -6.3%
1986 10.3% -23.1%
1987 12.1% +17.5%
1988 12.4% +2.5%
1989 12.0% -3.2%
1990 12.9% +7.5%
1991 12.6% -2.3%
1992 12.7% +0.8%
1993 12.7% +0.0%
1994 12.3% -3.1%
1995 11.7% -4.9%
1996 12.6% +7.7%
1997 12.3% -2.4%
1998 12.2% -0.8%
1999 12.4% +1.6%
2000 11.5% -7.3%
2001 11.5% +0.0%
2002 11.0% -4.3%
2003 10.7% -2.7%
2004 9.9% -7.5%
2005 9.3% -6.1%
2006 7.9% -15.1%
2007 7.1% -10.1%
2008 6.6% -7.0%
2009 6.3% -4.5%
2010 5.7% -9.5%
2011 5.2% -8.8%
2012 5.1% -1.9%
2013 4.7% -7.8%
2014 4.5% -4.3%
2015 4.2% -6.7%
2016 4.3% +2.4%
2017 4.3% +0.0%
2018 4.2% -2.3%
2019 4.3% +2.4%
2020 3.8% -11.6%
2021 4.1% +7.9%
2022 3.7% -9.8%
2023 3.3% -10.8%
2024 3.1% -6.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12.6% 10.3% 14.4% 9
1990s 12.4% 11.7% 12.9% 10
2000s 9.2% 6.3% 11.5% 10
2010s 4.7% 4.2% 5.7% 10
2020s 3.6% 3.1% 4.1% 5

Countries ranked near Americas

  1. 19 Pakistan 23.0% compare
  2. 20 Gambia 22.0% compare
  3. 21 Botswana 21.4% compare
  4. 22 Senegal 17.9% compare
  5. 23 South Africa 17.4% compare
  6. 24 Honduras 15.7% compare
  7. 25 Guinea 11.7% compare

See the full ranking of 164 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Americas

All data for Americas →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population below international poverty line in Americas?
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Americas was 3.1% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Americas?
The highest recorded value was 14.4% in 1983.
What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Americas?
The lowest recorded value was 3.1% in 2024.
How does Americas rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
Americas ranks 22nd out of 35 groups with data for 2024.
Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in Americas?
Over the last ten years it is down 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Americas data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of population below international poverty line in Americas. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-below-international-poverty-line-percent/americas/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of population below international poverty line (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
164 places, 3,780 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed