Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in India

India: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day was 23.9% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
23.9%
World rank
30th
of 120 countries
All-time high
82.9%
in 1977
All-time low
23.9%
in 2022
Years of data
8
1977–2022

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in India, 1977–2022

204060801977199920221977: 82.9 %1983: 78 %1987: 78.7 %1993: 76.2 %2004: 74.5 %2009: 66.1 %2011: 57.7 %2022: 23.9 %

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 India stood at 23.9%. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 58.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in India peaked at 82.9% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 23.9%, in 2022.

That places India 30th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 82.9% 82.9% 82.9% 1
1980s 78.4% 78.0% 78.7% 2
1990s 76.2% 76.2% 76.2% 1
2000s 70.3% 66.1% 74.5% 2
2010s 57.7% 57.7% 57.7% 1
2020s 23.9% 23.9% 23.9% 1

Countries ranked near India

  1. 27 Philippines 29.3% compare
  2. 28 Guinea 29.2% compare
  3. 29 Mauritania 26.0% compare
  4. 31 Honduras 23.5% compare
  5. 32 Laos 22.5% compare
  6. 33 Bangladesh 20.5% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in India?
Poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in India was 23.9% 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 India?
The highest recorded value was 82.9% in 1977.
What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 23.9% in 2022.
How does India rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day?
India ranks 30th 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 India?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this India 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

Indicator
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 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 $4.20 per day.