Proportion of population below international poverty line in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

Least Developed Countries (LDCs): Proportion of population below international poverty line was 41.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
41.3%
Change on year
up 0.5%
Rank
4th
of 19 groups
All-time high
67.7%
in 1993
All-time low
40.2%
in 2019
Years of data
31
1993–2023

Proportion of population below international poverty line in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 1993–2023

02040601993200820231993: 67.71994: 67.51995: 66.51996: 65.71997: 65.21998: 64.91999: 63.92000: 62.92001: 61.42002: 612003: 59.22004: 562005: 53.82006: 52.32007: 50.22008: 48.52009: 47.82010: 46.22011: 45.32012: 43.82013: 42.82014: 422015: 42.42016: 42.12017: 41.32018: 40.62019: 40.22020: 41.42021: 41.82022: 41.12023: 41.3

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Least Developed Countries (LDCs) recorded 41.3% for proportion of population below international poverty line in 2023.

The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) peaked at 67.7% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 40.2%, in 2019.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.

Proportion of population below international poverty line in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), year by year

Annual values for Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in Least Developed Countries (LDCs), 1993 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1993 67.7%
1994 67.5% -0.3%
1995 66.5% -1.5%
1996 65.7% -1.2%
1997 65.2% -0.8%
1998 64.9% -0.5%
1999 63.9% -1.5%
2000 62.9% -1.6%
2001 61.4% -2.4%
2002 61.0% -0.7%
2003 59.2% -3.0%
2004 56.0% -5.4%
2005 53.8% -3.9%
2006 52.3% -2.8%
2007 50.2% -4.0%
2008 48.5% -3.4%
2009 47.8% -1.4%
2010 46.2% -3.3%
2011 45.3% -1.9%
2012 43.8% -3.3%
2013 42.8% -2.3%
2014 42.0% -1.9%
2015 42.4% +1.0%
2016 42.1% -0.7%
2017 41.3% -1.9%
2018 40.6% -1.7%
2019 40.2% -1.0%
2020 41.4% +3.0%
2021 41.8% +1.0%
2022 41.1% -1.7%
2023 41.3% +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 65.9% 63.9% 67.7% 7
2000s 55.3% 47.8% 62.9% 10
2010s 42.7% 40.2% 46.2% 10
2020s 41.4% 41.1% 41.8% 4

Countries ranked near Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

  1. 1 Mozambique 81.4% compare
  2. 2 Malawi 75.4% compare
  3. 3 Burundi 74.2% compare
  4. 4 Zambia 71.7% compare
  5. 5 Madagascar 69.2% compare
  6. 6 Niger 60.5% compare
  7. 7 Uganda 59.8% compare

See the full ranking of 164 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Least Developed Countries (LDCs)

All data for Least Developed Countries (LDCs) →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population below international poverty line in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) was 41.3% in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
The highest recorded value was 67.7% in 1993.
What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
The lowest recorded value was 40.2% in 2019.
How does Least Developed Countries (LDCs) rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
Least Developed Countries (LDCs) ranks 4th out of 19 groups with data for 2023.
Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Least Developed Countries (LDCs) 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Proportion of population below international poverty line in Least Developed Countries (LDCs). 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/least-developed-countries-ldcs/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-below-international-poverty-line-percent/least-developed-countries-ldcs/">Proportion of population below international poverty line in Least Developed Countries (LDCs)</a> — Statizoid

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