Proportion of population below international poverty line in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Proportion of population below international poverty line was 0.4% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
0.4%
Change on year
down 20.0%
World rank
88th
of 132 countries
All-time high
0.5%
in 2020
All-time low
0.0%
in 1973
Years of data
54
1968–2021
Proportion of population below international poverty line in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1968–2021
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, proportion of population below international poverty line in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 0.4%.
That represents a change of down 20.0% on the previous year and up 33.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 0.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1973.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 88th out of 132 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Proportion of population below international poverty line in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 0.2% | — |
| 1969 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 0.1% | -50.0% |
| 1971 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 0.2% | +100.0% |
| 1973 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1974 | 0.2% | — |
| 1975 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 0.1% | -50.0% |
| 1977 | 0.2% | +100.0% |
| 1978 | 0.1% | -50.0% |
| 1979 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.3% | +200.0% |
| 1987 | 0.1% | -66.7% |
| 1988 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.2% | +100.0% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | -50.0% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.2% | +100.0% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | +100.0% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -25.0% |
| 1996 | 0.2% | -33.3% |
| 1997 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 0.3% | +50.0% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 0.4% | +33.3% |
| 2009 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -25.0% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | +33.3% |
| 2013 | 0.2% | -50.0% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | +100.0% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | -25.0% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | +33.3% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | +25.0% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | -20.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 85 Greece 0.6% compare
- 86 Austria 0.5% compare
- 86 Slovakia 0.5% compare
- 88 Chile 0.4% compare
- 88 Denmark 0.4% compare
- 88 Israel 0.4% compare
- 88 Latvia 0.4% compare
- 88 Malta 0.4% compare
- 88 Mongolia 0.4% compare
- 88 Portugal 0.4% compare
- 88 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 0.4% compare
More poverty & inequality data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 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 1.56 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 7,138 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 -7.54 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 34.91 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 34.9% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of population below international poverty line in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Proportion of population below international poverty line in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 0.4% in 2021, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 2020.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1973.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 88th out of 132 countries with data for 2021.
- Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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
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