China Poverty Rate 1990-2024 (2024)

Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

  • China poverty rate for 2019 was 24.70%, a 3.4% decline from 2018.
  • China poverty rate for 2018 was 28.10%, a 3.9% decline from 2017.
  • China poverty rate for 2017 was 32.00%, a 2.2% decline from 2016.
  • China poverty rate for 2016 was 34.20%, a 3.7% decline from 2015.

Similar Country Ranking
Country Name% Under US $5.50 Per Day
Fiji52.60%
Armenia52.10%
Colombia34.80%
Marshall Islands31.50%
Ecuador29.70%
Peru28.90%
Iran27.00%
Brazil26.20%
China24.70%
Dominican Republic20.20%
Paraguay19.70%
North Macedonia19.00%
Albania14.90%
Costa Rica13.70%
Thailand13.10%
Turkey12.60%
Serbia12.00%
Romania10.90%
Bulgaria7.20%
Russia4.20%
Maldives3.90%
Belarus2.40%
China Poverty Rate - Historical Data
Year% Under US $5.50 Per DayChange
201924.70%-3.40%
201828.10%-3.90%
201732.00%-2.20%
201634.20%-3.70%
201537.90%-4.40%
201442.30%-5.00%
201347.30%-6.80%
201254.10%-4.80%
201158.90%-3.60%
201062.50%-7.00%
200869.50%-9.00%
200578.50%-8.40%
200286.90%-6.20%
199993.10%-2.40%
199695.50%-2.40%
199397.90%-1.10%
199099.00%-1.10%
China Poverty Rate 1990-2024 (2024)

FAQs

Has China declined poverty? ›

The World Bank's calculations suggest China's rate of extreme poverty has plummeted from one of the highest in the world – 88% – in 1981, to virtually zero today, with the fastest gains in the 1980s and 1990s during the capitalist reforms of Chairman Deng Xiaoping.

Has poverty increased since 1990? ›

The poverty rate of families in the last years has consistently been a decrease from a poverty rate of more than 10 percent in 1990.

Did China's poverty rate fell from 88 percent in 1981 to 0.7 percent in 2015? ›

According to the World Bank, more than 850 million Chinese people have been lifted out of extreme poverty; China's poverty rate fell from 88 percent in 1981 to 0.7 percent in 2015, as measured by the percentage of people living on the equivalent of US$1.90 or less per day in 2011 purchasing price parity terms, which ...

What is China's current poverty rate? ›

China poverty rate for 2021 was 0.00%, a 24.7% decline from 2020. China poverty rate for 2020 was 24.70%, a 0% increase from 2019. China poverty rate for 2019 was 24.70%, a 3.4% decline from 2018.

Was China poor in the 1990s? ›

It is estimated by the World Bank that according to the international poverty line (per capita cost of living is below $1 per day), China's poverty population dropped from 542 million to 375 million in the 1980s (referring to the period of 1980-1990), decreasing by 167 million.

How did China defeat poverty? ›

In concrete terms, China lifted people out of poverty first and foremost by identifying and reducing the barriers preventing people from enriching themselves, rather than merely giving handouts—in short, by following the ancient adage, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.

Which country is no 1 poorest country? ›

1. Burundi. Burundi consistently ranks among the poorest countries globally. Economic instability, political unrest, and reliance on subsistence agriculture contribute to its economic struggles.

Why was poverty so high in the 1990s? ›

The erosion of a safety net

Another reason that poverty increased during the 1990s was that government benefits declined. The real purchasing power of cash welfare programs decreased substantially over the past two decades.

Which country has lowest poverty rate? ›

GDP per capita Growth Rate (2023): 10.17%

With a poverty rate of 0.3%, Estonia is one of the countries with the lowest poverty rates in the world. It also has a GDP per capita growth rate of 10.17%, which is among the highest on this list.

Is China population overestimated? ›

WPP projections still overestimate China's population. While the 2022 WPP puts the Chinese population at 1.43 billion people, I estimate that it is now smaller than 1.28 billion. Moreover, according to the WPP, there were 28.2 million births in China in 1990 and 17.4 million in 2000.

What causes poverty in China? ›

Rapid growth of population and its low education are basic reasons for poverty. Population growth rate in mountain areas is very high: the natural growth rate of population in 1998 was 15.090/00 in Tibet, 14.480/00 in Qinghai, 14.260/00 in Guizhou, 12.920/00 in Hainan and 14.480/00 in Ningxia.

Is China considered a poor country? ›

Today, China is an upper middle-income country that has remaining development challenges.

Is China a rich or Poor Country? ›

China has an upper middle income, developing, mixed, socialist market economy incorporating industrial policies and strategic five-year plans. It is the world's second largest economy by nominal GDP, behind the United States, and the world's largest economy since 2016 when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP)..

Why was China poor before 1978? ›

Origin. Before Deng Xiaoping's reforms, China's economy suffered due to centrally planned policies, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution, resulting in stagnation, inefficiency, and poverty. Prior to the reforms, the Chinese economy was dominated by state ownership and central planning.

Is poverty worse in the US or China? ›

The US and China: Not Number One
United StatesChina
Poverty (% of population living on less than $5.50 a day)2672
Global Competitiveness Index228
Commercial Wealth
Number of Billionaires12
46 more rows
Dec 21, 2020

How much poverty has China reduced stats? ›

China has achieved unprecedented success in bringing a total of 700 million people out of poverty since 1978. Despite these staggering achievements there are still around 56 million people living below China's national poverty line today.

Which country has reduced poverty? ›

July 11, 2023. India saw a remarkable reduction in poverty, with 415 million people exiting poverty within a span of just 15 years (2005/6–19/21). Large numbers of people were lifted out of poverty in China (2010–14, 69 million) and Indonesia (2012–17, 8 million).

Which country has the lowest poverty rate? ›

35 Countries with the Lowest Poverty Rate in the World
  • Panama. Poverty Rate (2023): 1.3% ...
  • Italy. Poverty Rate (2021): 0.8% ...
  • Japan. Poverty Rate (2013): 0.7% ...
  • Sweden. Poverty Rate (2021): 0.6% ...
  • Spain. Poverty Rate (2021): 0.6% ...
  • Australia. Poverty Rate (2018): 0.5% ...
  • Austria. Poverty Rate (2021): 0.5% ...
  • Hungary. Poverty Rate (2021): 0.4%
7 days ago

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Golda Nolan II

Last Updated:

Views: 6773

Rating: 4.8 / 5 (58 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Golda Nolan II

Birthday: 1998-05-14

Address: Suite 369 9754 Roberts Pines, West Benitaburgh, NM 69180-7958

Phone: +522993866487

Job: Sales Executive

Hobby: Worldbuilding, Shopping, Quilting, Cooking, Homebrewing, Leather crafting, Pet

Introduction: My name is Golda Nolan II, I am a thoughtful, clever, cute, jolly, brave, powerful, splendid person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.