Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in China
China: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day was 0.5% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in China, 1981–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in China stood at 0.5%.
That represents a change of up 68.0% on the previous year and down 98.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in China peaked at 99.7% in 1981 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2021.
That places China 92nd out of 120 countries with data for 2022, 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 $4.20 a day in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 99.7% | — |
| 1984 | 97.8% | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 93.9% | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 93.4% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 89.3% | -4.3% |
| 1996 | 79.9% | -10.5% |
| 1999 | 74.7% | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 63.7% | -14.7% |
| 2005 | 50.5% | -20.7% |
| 2008 | 41.3% | -18.1% |
| 2010 | 34.9% | -15.5% |
| 2011 | 29.1% | -16.5% |
| 2012 | 25.1% | -13.7% |
| 2013 | 16.7% | -33.5% |
| 2014 | 13.7% | -17.8% |
| 2015 | 10.6% | -22.7% |
| 2016 | 8.4% | -21.0% |
| 2017 | 7.5% | -11.0% |
| 2018 | 5.5% | -26.5% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | -44.8% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | -45.5% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | -81.5% |
| 2022 | 0.5% | +68.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.2%, 12% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
- China's 0.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.6%, 32% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +68.0% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 97.1% | 93.9% | 99.7% | 3 |
| 1990s | 84.3% | 74.7% | 93.4% | 4 |
| 2000s | 51.8% | 41.3% | 63.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 15.5% | 3.0% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.3% | 1.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in China?
- Poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in China was 0.5% 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 $4.20 a day recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 99.7% in 1981.
- What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2021.
- How does China rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day?
- China ranks 92nd out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 98.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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 $4.20 a day. 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 $4.20 per day.