Proportion of population below international poverty line in United States of America

United States of America: Proportion of population below international poverty line was 1.1% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
1.1%
Change on year
down 8.3%
Rank
32nd
of 42 groups
All-time high
1.6%
in 1963
All-time low
0.3%
in 2021
Years of data
62
1963–2024

Proportion of population below international poverty line in United States of America, 1963–2024

0.511.5196319932024

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

In 2024, proportion of population below international poverty line in United States of America stood at 1.1%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.3% on the previous year and down 15.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in United States of America peaked at 1.6% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2021.

United States of America ranks 32nd of 42 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 62 years of available data.

Proportion of population below international poverty line in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of population below international poverty line (%) in United States of America, 1963 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1963 1.6%
1964 1.5% -6.3%
1965 1.3% -13.3%
1966 1.2% -7.7%
1967 1.1% -8.3%
1968 0.9% -18.2%
1969 0.7% -22.2%
1970 1.1% +57.1%
1971 0.9% -18.2%
1972 0.8% -11.1%
1973 0.8% +0.0%
1974 0.9% +12.5%
1975 0.7% -22.2%
1976 0.7% +0.0%
1977 0.6% -14.3%
1978 0.6% +0.0%
1979 0.7% +16.7%
1980 0.6% -14.3%
1981 0.6% +0.0%
1982 0.8% +33.3%
1983 0.7% -12.5%
1984 0.6% -14.3%
1985 0.6% +0.0%
1986 0.6% +0.0%
1987 0.6% +0.0%
1988 0.5% -16.7%
1989 0.5% +0.0%
1990 0.5% +0.0%
1991 0.6% +20.0%
1992 0.6% +0.0%
1993 0.6% +0.0%
1994 0.7% +16.7%
1995 0.7% +0.0%
1996 0.7% +0.0%
1997 0.8% +14.3%
1998 0.9% +12.5%
1999 0.7% -22.2%
2000 0.8% +14.3%
2001 0.9% +12.5%
2002 0.9% +0.0%
2003 1.0% +11.1%
2004 1.1% +10.0%
2005 1.0% -9.1%
2006 1.1% +10.0%
2007 1.0% -9.1%
2008 1.1% +10.0%
2009 1.0% -9.1%
2010 1.1% +10.0%
2011 1.1% +0.0%
2012 1.1% +0.0%
2013 1.1% +0.0%
2014 1.3% +18.2%
2015 1.2% -7.7%
2016 1.2% +0.0%
2017 1.3% +8.3%
2018 1.1% -15.4%
2019 1.0% -9.1%
2020 0.4% -60.0%
2021 0.3% -25.0%
2022 1.4% +366.7%
2023 1.2% -14.3%
2024 1.1% -8.3%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Proportion of population below international poverty line in United States of America changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2022 +366.7% 0.3% 1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 1.2% 0.7% 1.6% 7
1970s 0.8% 0.6% 1.1% 10
1980s 0.6% 0.5% 0.8% 10
1990s 0.7% 0.5% 0.9% 10
2000s 1.0% 0.8% 1.1% 10
2010s 1.1% 1.0% 1.3% 10
2020s 0.9% 0.3% 1.4% 5

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 29 South Africa 17.4% compare
  2. 30 Honduras 15.7% compare
  3. 31 Guinea 11.7% compare
  4. 32 Mauritania 10.2% compare
  5. 33 Guatemala 9.7% compare
  6. 33 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 9.7% compare
  7. 35 Colombia 8.5% compare

See the full ranking of 174 places →

More poverty & inequality data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of population below international poverty line in United States of America?
Proportion of population below international poverty line in United States of America was 1.1% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 1963.
What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2021.
How does United States of America rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
United States of America ranks 32nd out of 42 groups with data for 2024.
Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States of America 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 United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-population-below-international-poverty-line-percent/united-states-of-america/

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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
174 places, 4,024 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed