As of recent data, there is no current statistic for the percentage of the world's population living on exactly $1 a day, as this is an outdated international poverty line (IPL). The current IPL, or extreme poverty line, is defined as living on less than $3.00 per day (based on 2021 Purchasing Power Parity data), which is the reality for approximately 10% of the global population.
More than a billion people live with less than a dollar per day. 2.8 billion people, that is to say almost half of the global population, live with less than 2 dollars per day. 448 million children are underweight. 876 million adults are illiterate, two thirds of which are women.
Almost half the world — over 3 billion people, live on less than $2.50 a day, however at least 80% of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.
Around a quarter — 24% — of the world lives on less than $5 a day. Around half — 52% — of the world lives on less than $10 a day. 81% live on less than $30 a day — a threshold similar to the poverty lines adopted in many of the world's richest countries.
More than 700 million people — or 10 per cent of the global population — still live in extreme poverty, which means they are surviving on less than $1.90 a day.
South Sudan is widely considered the poorest country in the world in 2025-2026, consistently ranking first due to extremely low GDP per capita and a high percentage (over 80%) of its population living in extreme poverty, driven by prolonged civil conflict, displacement, and disruption of its agricultural economy. Other nations frequently cited as among the poorest include Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Yemen, also suffering from conflict and instability.
According to the June 2025 update, 817 million people lived in extreme poverty in 2024 under the new $3 a day line. This is 125 million more than the previous estimate based on the old $2.15 definition. This chart compares the September 2024 data with the latest World Bank data.
As many as 14.2% of the population – or 3.7 million Australians – were living below the poverty line in 2022–23, according to the Poverty in Australia 2025: Overview, opens in a new window report released today.
South Sudan has the highest poverty rate, with approximately 82.3% of its population living in extreme poverty, largely due to ongoing civil conflict and economic collapse. 2. What are some of the poorest countries in terms of poverty rate as of 2026?
According to the most recent report issued in January 2023, the poverty threshold for a family of four is $29,960. For an individual, the poverty threshold is $14,891. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issues its poverty guidelines based on the Census Bureau's poverty thresholds.
In this analysis, we require that a child report at least three months during a calendar year with a household income below the threshold of less than $2 per person per day (approximated as $60 per person per month) to be counted as experiencing a spell of $2-a-day poverty.
Today, almost 700 million people (8.5 percent of the global population) live in extreme poverty - on less than $2.15 per day. Progress has stalled amid low growth, setbacks due to COVID-19, and increased fragility. Poverty rates in low-income countries are higher than before the pandemic.
Nearly half of the world's population currently lives in poverty, defined as income of less than US $2 per day, including one billion children. Of those living in poverty, over 800 million people live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than US $1.25 a day.
Which are the Poorest Countries in the World?
Using these poverty lines, the World Bank finds that 5.3% of India's population falls below the extreme poverty line threshold of $3 per day (PPP). In other words, one in twenty Indians live in extreme poverty. In India's national currency, the $3 (PPP) per day threshold corresponds to ₹60 per person per day.
Correct answer. 74% of the world's population lives in middle-income countries. And despite what many people think, far more people live in high-income countries (17%) than in low-income countries (10%).
South Sudan is widely considered the poorest country in the world in 2025-2026, consistently ranking first due to extremely low GDP per capita and a high percentage (over 80%) of its population living in extreme poverty, driven by prolonged civil conflict, displacement, and disruption of its agricultural economy. Other nations frequently cited as among the poorest include Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Yemen, also suffering from conflict and instability.
A low income in Australia varies, but generally involves earning below the median (around $1,425/week in Aug 2025) or below specific government thresholds, like the $948/week ($24,95/hr) National Minimum Wage (as of July 2025) for full-time work, with lower thresholds applying for benefits like the Low Income Health Care Card (around $800/week for singles). For tax purposes, incomes under $37,500-$45,000 might qualify for offsets, while affordable housing eligibility depends heavily on household size, with singles needing under $52,100 annually for low-cost options.
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As of 2020, China has succeeded in eradicating absolute poverty, but not the poverty defined for upper middle-income countries which China belongs to. China still has around 13% of its population falling below this poverty line of $5.50 per day in 2020.
The pyramid shows that: half of the world's net wealth belongs to the top 1%, top 10% of adults hold 85%, while the bottom 90% hold the remaining 15% of the world's total wealth, top 30% of adults hold 97% of the total wealth.
In 2025, an estimated 808 million people will be living in extreme poverty—up from the previous estimate of 677 million—representing 9.9 per cent of the world's population, or 1 in 10 people.
From 2001 to 2017, the daily median income doubled for everyone in the world. While this sounds like an incredible achievement, 85% of the world's population live on less than $30 per day, about 65% live on less than $10 per day and 10% live on less than $1.90 per day.