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

Romania: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day was 1.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.3%
Change on year
down 53.5%
World rank
71st
of 120 countries
All-time high
39.9%
in 1994
All-time low
0.0%
in 1989
Years of data
23
1989–2023

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Romania, 1989–2023

0102030401989200620231989: 0 %1992: 2.6 %1994: 39.9 %1995: 9.4 %1997: 10.9 %2006: 18.3 %2007: 14.3 %2008: 10.7 %2009: 10.1 %2010: 11.5 %2011: 13 %2012: 13.6 %2013: 15.5 %2014: 14.1 %2015: 12.9 %2016: 9.1 %2017: 6.8 %2018: 5.9 %2019: 4.8 %2020: 4.1 %2021: 3 %2022: 2.8 %2023: 1.3 %

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Romania stood at 1.3%.

The figure is down 53.5% on the previous year and down 91.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Romania peaked at 39.9% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1989.

That places Romania 71st out of 120 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1
1990s 15.7% 2.6% 39.9% 4
2000s 13.3% 10.1% 18.3% 4
2010s 10.7% 4.8% 15.5% 10
2020s 2.8% 1.3% 4.1% 4

Countries ranked near Romania

  1. 68 Costa Rica 1.7% compare
  2. 69 Japan 1.6% compare
  3. 70 Bulgaria 1.6% compare
  4. 72 Lithuania 1.2% compare
  5. 73 United States 1.2% compare
  6. 74 Australia 1.1% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Romania

All data for Romania →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Romania?
Poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day in Romania was 1.3% in 2023, 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 Romania?
The highest recorded value was 39.9% in 1994.
What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day recorded in Romania?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1989.
How does Romania rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day?
Romania ranks 71st out of 120 countries with data for 2023.
Is poverty: share of population living on less than $4.20 a day rising or falling in Romania?
Over the last ten years it is down 91.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Romania 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.

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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.