Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in China
China: Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median was 5.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in China, 1981–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in China stood at 5.1%.
The figure is up 9.9% on the previous year and down 56.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in China peaked at 12.7% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 1990.
China ranks 69th of 120 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 3.8% | — |
| 1984 | 3.6% | -6.9% |
| 1987 | 6.1% | +69.8% |
| 1990 | 3.4% | -44.7% |
| 1993 | 4.0% | +18.4% |
| 1996 | 5.2% | +30.9% |
| 1999 | 7.3% | +41.0% |
| 2002 | 10.3% | +40.1% |
| 2005 | 9.2% | -10.3% |
| 2008 | 12.2% | +31.8% |
| 2010 | 12.7% | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 11.4% | -10.5% |
| 2012 | 11.8% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 8.2% | -29.9% |
| 2014 | 8.7% | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 8.0% | -8.1% |
| 2016 | 7.7% | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 8.0% | +4.3% |
| 2018 | 7.8% | -2.9% |
| 2019 | 6.7% | -14.4% |
| 2020 | 4.5% | -32.2% |
| 2021 | 4.6% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 5.1% | +9.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5.1% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.0%, 64% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- China's 5.1% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.1%, 1.0× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.5% | 3.6% | 6.1% | 3 |
| 1990s | 5.0% | 3.4% | 7.3% | 4 |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 9.2% | 12.2% | 3 |
| 2010s | 9.1% | 6.7% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 4.5% | 5.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
- 66 Madagascar 5.5% compare
- 67 Switzerland 5.2% compare
- 68 Malawi 5.2% compare
- 70 Mauritania 5.0% compare
- 71 Poland 5.0% compare
- 72 Burundi 5.0% compare
More poverty & inequality data for China
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 7 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 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,418 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 0.5767 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 22.1 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 22.1% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in China?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median in China was 5.1% in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7% in 2010.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 1990.
- How does China rank for relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median?
- China ranks 69th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 40% of the median rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Relative poverty: Share of population below 40% of the median. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below 40% of the median.