Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in South Korea
South Korea: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day was 0.5% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in South Korea, 2006–2021
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in South Korea is 0.5%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is down 82.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in South Korea peaked at 2.8% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2020.
That places South Korea 108th out of 120 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in South Korea, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2.7% | — |
| 2008 | 2.3% | -14.8% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | +21.7% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | -21.4% |
| 2014 | 1.9% | -13.6% |
| 2016 | 1.4% | -26.3% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 0.9% | -30.8% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -33.3% |
| 2020 | 0.5% | -16.7% |
| 2021 | 0.5% | +0.0% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 0.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.5%, 34% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 0.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 21.3%, 2% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.3% | 2.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 0.6% | 2.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More poverty & inequality data for South Korea
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 6 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 0.72 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 6,615 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 0.0454 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 26.87 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 26.9% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in South Korea?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day in South Korea was 0.5% in 2021, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day recorded in South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 2.8% in 2010.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2020.
- How does South Korea rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day?
- South Korea ranks 108th out of 120 countries with data for 2021.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $8.30 a day rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 82.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Korea 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 Poverty: Share of population living on less than $8.30 a day. 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 $8.30 per day.