International poverty linea
International poverty line in local currency
Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine Uruguay Venezuela, RB Vietnam West Bank and Gaza Yemen, Rep. Zambia
$1.25 a day
$2 a day
2005
2005
0.9 1.3 5,961.1c 930.8 2.1 19.1 1,563.9 7,399.9 2.7c 113.8 3,537.9
1.4 2.0 9,537.7c 1,489.2 3.4 30.6 2,502.2 11,839.8 4.3c 182.1 5,660.7
PEOPLE
2.8
Poverty rates at international poverty lines
Survey year b
Population below $1.25 a day %
Poverty gap at $1.25 a day %
Population below $2 a day %
Poverty gap at $2 a day %
2000 2007 1993e 2006 2008 2009 f 2005f 2006 2007 1998 2004
2.6 <2 63.5 51.5 <2 <2 13.4 21.4 <2 12.9 64.3
0.5 <0.5 25.8 19.1 <0.5 <0.5 8.2 5.3 <0.5 3.0 32.8
12.8 4.5 85.7 75.6 <2 <2 21.9 48.1 2.5 36.4 81.5
3.0 1.2 44.9 36.4 <0.5 <0.5 11.6 16.3 0.5 11.1 48.3
Survey year b
Population below $1.25 a day %
Poverty gap at $1.25 a day %
Population below $2 a day %
Poverty gap at $2 a day %
2005 2008 1998 2009 2009 2010 f 2006f 2008 2009 2005 2006
<2 <2 24.8 38.0 <2 <2 6.6 16.9 <2 17.5 68.5
<0.5 <0.5 7.0 12.2 <0.5 <0.5 3.7 3.8 <0.5 4.2 37.0
8.1 4.2 49.7 64.7 <2 <2 12.9 43.4 <2 46.6 82.6
1.8 0.7 18.4 27.4 <0.5 <0.5 5.9 13.5 <0.5 14.8 51.8
a. Based on nominal per capita consumption averages and distributions estimated parametrically from grouped household survey data, unless otherwise noted. b. Refers to the year in which the underlying household survey data were collected or, when the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the year in which most of the data were collected. c. Based on purchasing power parity (PPP) dollars imputed using regression. d. Covers urban areas only. e. Based on per capita income averages and distributions estimated parametrically from grouped household survey data. f. Estimated nonparametrically from nominal income per capita distributions based on unit-record household survey data. g. PPP conversion factor based on urban prices. h. Population-weighted average of urban and rural estimates. i. Based on benchmark national PPP estimate rescaled to account for cost-of-living differences in urban and rural areas. j. Estimated nonparametrically from nominal consumption per capita distributions based on unit-record household survey data.
Regional poverty estimates and progress toward
declined from 77 percent in 1981 to 14 percent in
Most of the people who have escaped extreme
the Millennium Development Goals
2008 and the number of people living on less than
poverty remain very poor by the standards of middle-
Global poverty measured at the $1.25 a day pov-
$1.25 a day dropped more than 800 million (fi gure
income countries. The median poverty line for devel-
erty line has been decreasing since the 1980s. The
2.8b). Much of this decline was in China, where the
oping countries in 2005 was $2 a day. The poverty
share of population living on less than $1.25 a day
poverty rate fell from 84 percent to 13 percent,
rate for all developing countries measured at this line
fell almost 10 percentage points, to 43 percent,
leaving about 660 million fewer people poor. Over
fell from nearly 70 percent in 1981 to 43 percent in
in 1990 and then fell about 20 percentage points
the same period the poverty rate in South Asia
2008, but the number of people living on less than
between 1990 and 2008. The number of people liv-
fell from 61 percent to 36 percent (table 2.8c).
$2 a day has remained nearly constant at around
ing in extreme poverty fell from 1.9 billion in 1990
In contrast, the poverty rate fell only slightly in
2.5 billion. The largest decrease, in both number and
to about 1.3 billion in 2008 (figure 2.8a). This sub-
Sub-Saharan Africa—from less than 52 percent in
proportion, occurred in East Asia and Pacific, led by
stantial reduction in extreme poverty over the past
1981 to more than 59 percent in 1993 then down
China. By contrast in Sub-Saharan Africa and South
quarter century, however, disguises large regional
to 47.5 percent in 2008. But the number of people
Asia, particularly India, the number of people living
differences.
living below the poverty line has nearly doubled
on less than $2 a day increased. And globally the
over this period and started declining slightly only
number of people living on $1.25–$2 a day nearly
from 2005 onward.
doubled, to 1.2 billion (see figure 2.8a).
The greatest reduction in poverty occurred in East Asia and Pacifi c, where the poverty rate
While the number of people living on less than $1.25 a day has fallen, the number living on $1.25–$2 a day has increased 2.8a
80
2.5
People living on $1.25–$2 a day, all developing regions
People living on less than $1.25 a day, other developing regions
40 South Asia
People living on less than $1.25 a day, East Asia & Pacific 20
0.5
Sub-Saharan Africa
60
1.5 1.0
2.8b
Share of population living on less than $1.25 a day, by region (percent)
People living in poverty (billions) 3.0
2.0
Poverty rates are falling in all developing regions
People living on less than $1.25 a day, South Asia
People living on less than $1.25 a day, Sub-Saharan Africa
0 1981
1984
1987
1990
Source: PovcalNet, World Bank.
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
Europe & Central Asia
Middle East & North Africa
Latin America & Caribbean
East Asia & Pacific
0 1981
1984
1987
1990
1993
1996
1999
2002
2005
2008
Source: PovcalNet, World Bank.
2012 World Development Indicators
71