Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Taiwan, China
Taiwan, China: Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median was 8.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Taiwan, China, 1981–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Taiwan, China is 8.2%, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 23.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Taiwan, China peaked at 10.7% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 1986.
Taiwan, China ranks 93rd of 120 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 16 years of available data.
Relative poverty: Share of population below 50% of the median in Taiwan, China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 6.9% | — |
| 1986 | 6.6% | -4.3% |
| 1991 | 7.0% | +6.1% |
| 1995 | 9.1% | +30.0% |
| 1997 | 8.1% | -11.0% |
| 2000 | 7.9% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 8.3% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 8.8% | +6.0% |
| 2010 | 10.7% | +21.6% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | -11.2% |
| 2016 | 8.4% | -11.6% |
| 2017 | 8.8% | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 8.6% | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 8.4% | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 8.0% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 8.2% | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.8% | 6.6% | 6.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 8.1% | 7.0% | 9.1% | 3 |
| 2000s | 8.3% | 7.9% | 8.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 9.1% | 8.4% | 10.7% | 6 |
| 2020s | 8.1% | 8.0% | 8.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Taiwan, China
More poverty & inequality data for Taiwan, China
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 6 surveys (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 0.87 live births per woman (2023)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Share of government consumption in GDP vs. share of population living in extreme poverty 17.4% (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in women 0.0807 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient by sex 0.0807 (2023)
- Lifespan inequality: Gini coefficient in men 0.1054 (2023)
- Three metrics of inequality 60.86 (2017)
- Gini coefficient (before tax) 0.6086 (2017)
- Total shortfall from extreme poverty 3.36 million international-$ in 2021 prices (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Taiwan, China?
- Relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median in Taiwan, China was 8.2% in 2021, 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 50% of the median recorded in Taiwan, China?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 2010.
- What is the lowest relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median recorded in Taiwan, China?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 1986.
- How does Taiwan, China rank for relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median?
- Taiwan, China ranks 93rd out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is relative poverty: share of population below 50% of the median rising or falling in Taiwan, China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Taiwan, 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 50% 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 50% of the median.