Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) by country
Countries reporting
130
Highest
23.4%
Honduras
Lowest
0.9%
Azerbaijan
Median
11.4%
Years covered
63
1963–2025
Data points
2,510
What the numbers show
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%) is currently reported for 130 countries. The highest value is 23.4% in Honduras; the lowest is 0.9% in Azerbaijan.
The median across all reporting countries is 11.4%, and the mean is 12.0%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 26.
Over the past decade 40 countries rose and 81 fell. The largest increase was in Pakistan (up 85.4%), and the largest decrease in Azerbaijan (down 92.8%).
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honduras | 23.4% | 2024 | down 5.6% | flat |
| 2 | Panama | 23.2% | 2024 | up 0.4% | falling |
| 3 | Colombia | 22.7% | 2024 | down 3.8% | rising |
| 4 | Zambia | 21.9% | 2022 | up 12.3% | falling |
| 5 | Brazil | 21.2% | 2024 | down 4.9% | falling |
| 6 | Israel | 21.0% | 2022 | down 4.1% | rising |
| 7 | Ghana | 20.6% | 2016 | up 14.4% | rising |
| 8 | Botswana | 20.4% | 2015 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 8 | South Africa | 20.4% | 2022 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 10 | Costa Rica | 20.0% | 2025 | up 7.5% | falling |
| 11 | Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) | 19.9% | 2006 | down 2.9% | falling |
| 12 | Argentina | 19.6% | 2024 | down 3.4% | flat |
| 13 | Guatemala | 19.1% | 2023 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 14 | United States of America | 18.9% | 2024 | up 11.2% | rising |
| 15 | Cameroon | 18.8% | 2021 | down 13.4% | rising |
| 16 | North Macedonia | 18.4% | 2019 | down 15.2% | rising |
| 17 | Nicaragua | 18.3% | 2014 | up 7.0% | falling |
| 18 | Ecuador | 18.1% | 2025 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 19 | Bolivia (Plurinational State of) | 17.8% | 2024 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 20 | Uruguay | 17.4% | 2024 | down 2.2% | falling |
| 21 | Jamaica | 17.2% | 2021 | — | flat |
| 22 | Mozambique | 17.0% | 2022 | unchanged | rising |
| 22 | Peru | 17.0% | 2024 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 24 | Malaysia | 16.5% | 2021 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 25 | Paraguay | 16.3% | 2024 | down 17.7% | falling |
| 25 | Türkiye | 16.3% | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 25 | Türkiye | 16.3% | 2023 | unchanged | flat |
| 28 | El Salvador | 16.2% | 2023 | down 0.6% | falling |
| 29 | Belize | 16.0% | 2018 | — | falling |
| 30 | Montenegro | 15.9% | 2021 | up 60.6% | rising |
| 31 | Mexico | 15.7% | 2024 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 32 | Dominican Republic | 15.3% | 2024 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 33 | Spain | 14.9% | 2023 | down 16.3% | rising |
| 34 | Romania | 14.7% | 2023 | down 29.7% | rising |
| 34 | State of Palestine | 14.7% | 2023 | up 50.0% | rising |
| 36 | Bulgaria | 14.6% | 2023 | down 8.8% | rising |
| 37 | Italy | 14.5% | 2023 | down 2.0% | rising |
| 38 | Luxembourg | 14.4% | 2023 | up 13.4% | rising |
| 39 | Serbia | 14.3% | 2023 | down 28.5% | rising |
| 40 | Chile | 13.9% | 2024 | down 0.7% | falling |
| 41 | Japan | 13.4% | 2020 | up 10.7% | flat |
| 41 | Tajikistan | 13.4% | 2024 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 41 | Uganda | 13.4% | 2019 | up 5.5% | falling |
| 41 | Viet Nam | 13.4% | 2022 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 41 | Viet Nam | 13.4% | 2022 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 46 | Lithuania | 13.3% | 2023 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 47 | Togo | 13.2% | 2021 | down 33.3% | falling |
| 48 | Greece | 12.9% | 2023 | down 25.0% | flat |
| 49 | Gambia | 12.8% | 2020 | down 15.8% | falling |
| 50 | Korea | 12.6% | 2021 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 50 | Iran (Islamic Republic of) | 12.6% | 2023 | up 20.0% | falling |
| 50 | Republic of Korea | 12.6% | 2021 | up 2.4% | rising |
| 53 | Germany | 12.5% | 2022 | up 28.9% | rising |
| 54 | Georgia | 12.3% | 2024 | down 18.5% | falling |
| 54 | Latvia | 12.3% | 2023 | down 10.9% | rising |
| 54 | Uzbekistan | 12.3% | 2025 | — | flat |
| 57 | Croatia | 12.1% | 2023 | down 11.7% | rising |
| 58 | China | 12.0% | 2022 | down 33.7% | rising |
| 59 | Switzerland | 11.9% | 2022 | up 25.3% | rising |
| 59 | France | 11.9% | 2023 | up 21.4% | flat |
| 61 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 11.7% | 2021 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 61 | Morocco | 11.7% | 2013 | down 6.4% | falling |
| 61 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 11.7% | 2021 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 64 | Hungary | 11.5% | 2017 | up 19.8% | rising |
| 65 | Burundi | 11.4% | 2020 | up 1.8% | falling |
| 66 | Australia | 11.3% | 2020 | up 7.6% | flat |
| 66 | Nigeria | 11.3% | 2022 | down 11.0% | falling |
| 68 | Senegal | 11.2% | 2021 | down 23.3% | falling |
| 69 | Madagascar | 11.1% | 2021 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 69 | Malawi | 11.1% | 2019 | down 26.0% | rising |
| 71 | Austria | 11.0% | 2023 | up 14.6% | rising |
| 71 | Portugal | 11.0% | 2023 | down 23.6% | falling |
| 71 | Sweden | 11.0% | 2023 | up 8.9% | rising |
| 74 | Canada | 10.9% | 2022 | down 22.7% | falling |
| 75 | Russian Federation | 10.8% | 2023 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 75 | Tunisia | 10.8% | 2021 | down 28.0% | falling |
| 75 | Russian Federation | 10.8% | 2023 | down 13.6% | falling |
| 78 | Mauritania | 10.6% | 2019 | down 28.9% | falling |
| 78 | Philippines | 10.6% | 2023 | down 34.6% | falling |
| 78 | Slovakia | 10.6% | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 81 | Benin | 10.5% | 2021 | down 10.3% | rising |
| 81 | Burkina Faso | 10.5% | 2021 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 83 | Malta | 10.4% | 2023 | up 7.2% | flat |
| 84 | Côte d'Ivoire | 10.1% | 2021 | down 42.0% | falling |
| 84 | Côte d'Ivoire | 10.1% | 2021 | down 42.0% | falling |
| 86 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 10.0% | 2021 | down 20.6% | rising |
| 87 | Guinea | 9.7% | 2018 | down 29.2% | falling |
| 87 | Mongolia | 9.7% | 2022 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 87 | United Republic of Tanzania | 9.7% | 2018 | down 26.5% | falling |
| 90 | Albania | 9.6% | 2020 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 90 | Thailand | 9.6% | 2024 | down 15.0% | falling |
| 92 | Sri Lanka | 9.4% | 2019 | up 20.5% | rising |
| 92 | Mali | 9.4% | 2021 | up 6.8% | falling |
| 94 | Guinea-Bissau | 9.1% | 2021 | down 46.5% | falling |
| 94 | Kenya | 9.1% | 2022 | down 34.5% | falling |
| 96 | Ethiopia | 8.9% | 2021 | down 5.3% | rising |
| 97 | Bhutan | 8.8% | 2022 | down 28.5% | falling |
| 97 | Poland | 8.8% | 2023 | down 34.8% | rising |
| 99 | Estonia | 8.7% | 2023 | down 26.9% | falling |
| 100 | Belgium | 8.3% | 2023 | down 17.8% | rising |
| 101 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 8.1% | 2024 | down 16.5% | rising |
| 101 | Rwanda | 8.1% | 2023 | down 33.6% | falling |
| 101 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 8.1% | 2024 | down 16.5% | rising |
| 104 | Nepal | 7.9% | 2022 | up 9.7% | rising |
| 104 | Syrian Arab Republic | 7.9% | 2022 | down 49.0% | falling |
| 104 | Syrian Arab Republic | 7.9% | 2022 | down 49.0% | falling |
| 104 | Netherlands (Kingdom of the) | 7.9% | 2021 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 108 | Norway | 7.6% | 2023 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 108 | Pakistan | 7.6% | 2024 | up 85.4% | falling |
| 110 | Cyprus | 7.5% | 2023 | down 5.1% | rising |
| 110 | Jordan | 7.5% | 2010 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 112 | Finland | 7.4% | 2023 | up 10.4% | rising |
| 113 | Ireland | 7.3% | 2023 | down 36.0% | falling |
| 114 | Czechia | 7.0% | 2023 | unchanged | rising |
| 115 | Bangladesh | 6.8% | 2022 | up 33.3% | rising |
| 116 | Indonesia | 6.7% | 2025 | down 23.0% | rising |
| 117 | Denmark | 6.6% | 2023 | down 1.5% | rising |
| 118 | Iceland | 6.3% | 2019 | down 10.0% | flat |
| 119 | Armenia | 6.2% | 2024 | down 26.2% | falling |
| 120 | Slovenia | 5.9% | 2023 | down 30.6% | falling |
| 121 | Ukraine | 5.1% | 2020 | up 15.9% | falling |
| 122 | Niger | 4.9% | 2021 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 123 | Kyrgyzstan | 4.6% | 2024 | up 35.3% | volatile |
| 124 | Egypt | 4.4% | 2021 | unchanged | falling |
| 125 | Republic of Moldova | 4.3% | 2023 | down 36.8% | falling |
| 125 | Republic of Moldova | 4.3% | 2023 | down 36.8% | falling |
| 127 | Belarus | 3.9% | 2020 | down 54.1% | falling |
| 128 | India | 3.4% | 2022 | down 8.1% | falling |
| 129 | Kazakhstan | 3.1% | 2021 | down 36.7% | volatile |
| 130 | Azerbaijan | 0.9% | 2005 | down 92.8% | volatile |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- United States of America 18.9%