Share of population living in extreme poverty (Michalis Moatsos) in China
China: Share of population living in extreme poverty (Michalis Moatsos) was 5.0% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Share of population living in extreme poverty in China, 1820–2018
Source: Michalis Moatsos (2021) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 5.0% for share of population living in extreme poverty in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
That represents a change of down 73.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in extreme poverty in China peaked at 84.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2018.
China ranks 7th of 25 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Share of population living in extreme poverty (Michalis Moatsos) in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 76.0% | — |
| 1830 | 76.0% | +0.0% |
| 1840 | 77.0% | +1.3% |
| 1850 | 78.0% | +1.3% |
| 1860 | 78.0% | +0.0% |
| 1870 | 77.0% | -1.3% |
| 1880 | 76.0% | -1.3% |
| 1890 | 73.0% | -3.9% |
| 1900 | 74.0% | +1.4% |
| 1910 | 77.0% | +4.1% |
| 1920 | 76.0% | -1.3% |
| 1930 | 77.0% | +1.3% |
| 1940 | 79.0% | +2.6% |
| 1950 | 84.0% | +6.3% |
| 1960 | 73.0% | -13.1% |
| 1970 | 75.0% | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 53.0% | -29.3% |
| 1990 | 42.0% | -20.8% |
| 2000 | 33.0% | -21.4% |
| 2010 | 19.0% | -42.4% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | -73.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.5%, 1.4× the median. (8 countries reporting)
- China's 5.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 2.0%, 2.5× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in extreme poverty (Michalis Moatsos) in China 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | -73.7% | 19.0% | 5.0% |
| 2010 | -42.4% | 33.0% | 19.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 76.0% | 76.0% | 76.0% | 1 |
| 1830s | 76.0% | 76.0% | 76.0% | 1 |
| 1840s | 77.0% | 77.0% | 77.0% | 1 |
| 1850s | 78.0% | 78.0% | 78.0% | 1 |
| 1860s | 78.0% | 78.0% | 78.0% | 1 |
| 1870s | 77.0% | 77.0% | 77.0% | 1 |
| 1880s | 76.0% | 76.0% | 76.0% | 1 |
| 1890s | 73.0% | 73.0% | 73.0% | 1 |
| 1900s | 74.0% | 74.0% | 74.0% | 1 |
| 1910s | 77.0% | 77.0% | 77.0% | 1 |
| 1920s | 76.0% | 76.0% | 76.0% | 1 |
| 1930s | 77.0% | 77.0% | 77.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 79.0% | 79.0% | 79.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 84.0% | 84.0% | 84.0% | 1 |
| 1960s | 73.0% | 73.0% | 73.0% | 1 |
| 1970s | 75.0% | 75.0% | 75.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 53.0% | 53.0% | 53.0% | 1 |
| 1990s | 42.0% | 42.0% | 42.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 33.0% | 33.0% | 33.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 12.0% | 5.0% | 19.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near China
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 share of population living in extreme poverty in China?
- Share of population living in extreme poverty in China was 5.0% in 2018, according to Michalis Moatsos (2021) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in extreme poverty recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 84.0% in 1950.
- What is the lowest share of population living in extreme poverty recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2018.
- How does China rank for share of population living in extreme poverty?
- China ranks 7th out of 25 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of population living in extreme poverty rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 73.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Michalis Moatsos (2021) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population unable to meet basic needs (including minimal nutrition and adequately heated shelter) according to prices of locally-available goods and services at the time..