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Prosperity gap in North America

North America: Prosperity gap was 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day
Change on year
down 7.7%
Rank
13th
of 14 groups
All-time high
1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day
in 2014
All-time low
0.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day
in 2020
Years of data
44
1981–2024

Prosperity gap in North America, 1981–2024

00.511.51981200220241981: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1982: 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1983: 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1984: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1985: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1986: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1987: 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1988: 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1989: 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1990: 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1991: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1992: 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1993: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1994: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1995: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1996: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1997: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1998: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day1999: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2000: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2001: 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2002: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2003: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2004: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2005: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2006: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2007: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2008: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2009: 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2010: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2011: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2012: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2013: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2014: 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2015: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2016: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2017: 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2018: 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2019: 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2020: 0.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2021: 0.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2022: 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2023: 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day2024: 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day

Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Measured in average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day.

Analysis

North America recorded 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day for prosperity gap in 2024.

The figure is down 7.7% on the previous year and down 14.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prosperity gap in North America peaked at 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day, in 2020.

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

Prosperity gap in North America, year by year

Year average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day Change
1981 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day —
1982 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +9.1%
1983 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1984 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -8.3%
1985 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1986 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1987 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -9.1%
1988 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1989 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1990 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1991 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +10.0%
1992 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -9.1%
1993 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +10.0%
1994 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1995 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1996 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1997 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1998 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
1999 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2000 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2001 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +9.1%
2002 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -8.3%
2003 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +18.2%
2004 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2005 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2006 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2007 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2008 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2009 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -7.7%
2010 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +8.3%
2011 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2012 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2013 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2014 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +7.7%
2015 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -7.1%
2016 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2017 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +7.7%
2018 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -14.3%
2019 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -8.3%
2020 0.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -36.4%
2021 0.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +0.0%
2022 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day +100.0%
2023 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -7.1%
2024 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day -7.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.09 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 9
1990s 1.08 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 10
2000s 1.24 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1.3 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 10
2010s 1.29 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 10
2020s 1.06 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 0.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day 5

Countries ranked near North America

  1. 10 Kenya 9.9 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day compare
  2. 11 Nigeria 9.8 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day compare
  3. 12 Burkina Faso 9.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day compare
  4. 13 Ethiopia 9.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day compare
  5. 13 Guinea-Bissau 9.1 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day compare
  6. 15 Rwanda 8.8 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day compare
  7. 16 Togo 8.6 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day compare

See the full ranking of 137 places →

More poverty & inequality data for North America

All data for North America →

Frequently asked questions

What is prosperity gap in North America?
Prosperity gap in North America was 1.2 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day in 2024, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ.
What is the highest prosperity gap recorded in North America?
The highest recorded value was 1.4 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day in 2014.
What is the lowest prosperity gap recorded in North America?
The lowest recorded value was 0.7 average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day in 2020.
How does North America rank for prosperity gap?
North America ranks 13th out of 14 groups with data for 2024.
Is prosperity gap rising or falling in North America?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this North America data come from?
The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as part of Prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prosperity gap in North America. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/prosperity-gap-average-shortfall-from-a-prosperity-standard-of-28-day/north-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day)
Unit
average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day
Source
World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
137 places, 2,866 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

The average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28 per day (adjusted for differences in purchasing power parity across countries). It is measured as the average factor by which incomes fall short of $28.