Share of population: 2011 vs. 2017 prices … upper-middle in United States
United States: Share of population: 2011 vs. 2017 prices … upper-middle was 2.0% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices in United States, 1963–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices in United States stood at 2.0%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 167.5% on the previous year and up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices in United States peaked at 4.0% in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2021.
That places United States 85th out of 119 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 60 years of available data.
Share of population: 2011 vs. 2017 prices … upper-middle in United States, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 4.0% | — |
| 1964 | 3.5% | -12.6% |
| 1965 | 3.0% | -14.2% |
| 1966 | 3.5% | +16.7% |
| 1967 | 2.7% | -21.4% |
| 1968 | 2.2% | -18.2% |
| 1969 | 2.0% | -11.1% |
| 1970 | 2.5% | +24.9% |
| 1971 | 2.2% | -10.0% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | -11.1% |
| 1973 | 2.0% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 2.0% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 2.0% | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 1.7% | -12.3% |
| 1977 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 1.7% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 1.2% | -28.7% |
| 1980 | 1.2% | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 1.5% | +20.0% |
| 1983 | 1.7% | +16.6% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | -14.2% |
| 1985 | 1.5% | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 1.5% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 1.2% | -16.7% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | -19.9% |
| 1990 | 1.2% | +25.0% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 1.5% | +20.0% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | -16.4% |
| 1994 | 1.5% | +19.9% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | -16.6% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 1.5% | +20.0% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | -16.7% |
| 2000 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | +20.0% |
| 2002 | 1.5% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.7% | +16.6% |
| 2004 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.5% | -14.8% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | +17.3% |
| 2007 | 1.5% | -14.4% |
| 2008 | 1.7% | +16.8% |
| 2009 | 1.5% | -14.2% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | +16.7% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | +14.3% |
| 2015 | 1.7% | -12.6% |
| 2016 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.7% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -14.4% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -16.6% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | -40.2% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | +167.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 2.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.7%, 2.7× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population: 2011 vs. 2017 prices … upper-middle in United States 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +167.5% | 0.7% | 2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.0% | 2.0% | 4.0% | 7 |
| 1970s | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.6% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 0.7% | 2.0% | 3 |
Countries ranked near United States
More poverty & inequality data for United States
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 9 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 1.62 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 8,414 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 1 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 24.85 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 24.8% (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 on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices in United States?
- Share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices in United States was 2.0% in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 1963.
- What is the lowest share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2021.
- How does United States rank for share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices?
- United States ranks 85th out of 119 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living on less than the upper-middle income poverty line: 2011 vs. 2017 prices. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $5.50 per day.