Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in China

China: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day was 0.0% in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
0.0%
World rank
100th
of 120 countries
All-time high
39.3%
in 1981
All-time low
0.0%
in 2008
Years of data
23
1981–2022

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in China, 1981–2022

0102030401981200120221981: 39.3 %1984: 18.7 %1987: 13.1 %1990: 14.3 %1993: 11.5 %1996: 5.7 %1999: 6.6 %2002: 4.6 %2005: 0.316 %2008: 0 %2010: 0 %2011: 0 %2012: 0 %2013: 0 %2014: 0 %2015: 0 %2016: 0 %2017: 0 %2018: 0 %2019: 0 %2020: 0 %2021: 0 %2022: 0 %

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 $1 a day in China is 0.0%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.

Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in China peaked at 39.3% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2008.

China ranks 100th of 120 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 23.7% 13.1% 39.3% 3
1990s 9.5% 5.7% 14.3% 4
2000s 1.6% 0.0% 4.6% 3
2010s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 10
2020s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3

Countries ranked near China

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See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in China?
Poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in China was 0.0% in 2022, 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 $1 a day recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 39.3% in 1981.
What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2008.
How does China rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day?
China ranks 100th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
Where does this 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 Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day
Unit
%
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $1 per day.