Top 100 Countries by Poverty Rate (%), 2025
This ranking compares poverty headcount rates across countries using the World Bank's internationally comparable threshold (Poverty & Inequality Platform, PIP). Because poverty is measured through household surveys, the values shown here are the latest available year for each country (often not the same year for everyone) — and the edition is labeled 2025 because it reflects the latest archive available in 2025.
What “poverty rate” measures (and what it doesn’t)
In everyday language, “poverty rate” can mean several different things. In official statistics it usually refers to a headcount ratio: the share of people whose income or consumption falls below a defined poverty line.
For cross-country comparison, we use an international poverty line expressed in PPP-adjusted international dollars. This helps normalize differences in price levels across countries. The World Bank periodically updates the global poverty line when new PPP price benchmarks are released. In the 2025 update aligned to 2021 PPPs, the headline international line moved from the earlier $2.15/day (2017 PPP) to $3.00/day (2021 PPP), which is the line used in this edition.
Latest data caveats you should read before comparing countries
Poverty is not measured continuously: most countries run household surveys every few years, and some do so irregularly. As a result, a “2025 ranking” is inevitably a patchwork of latest survey years. A country can move up or down in the ranking simply because its newest survey is more recent.
The indicator shown here is sourced from the World Bank's Poverty & Inequality Platform (PIP), which harmonizes survey microdata where possible, but still inherits limitations from the underlying household surveys (sampling, recall errors, income vs consumption definitions, and differences in price deflators).
Practical reading: treat small differences (e.g., 0.5–1.0 pp) as noise; focus on big gaps, clusters, and consistent regional patterns.
Top 10 countries (highest poverty rates)
The leaders in this ranking have poverty headcount rates above 65.0% under the international poverty line. Note the “Latest year” column: the newest available survey year differs by country.
| Rank | Country | Region | Poverty rate (%) | Latest year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | Sub-Saharan Africa | 85.3 | 2020 |
| 2 | Mozambique | Sub-Saharan Africa | 81.4 | 2022 |
| 3 | South Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa | 76.5 | 2016 |
| 4 | Malawi | Sub-Saharan Africa | 75.4 | 2019 |
| 5 | Burundi | Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.2 | 2013 |
| 6 | Madagascar | Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.1 | 2022 |
| 7 | Niger | Sub-Saharan Africa | 72.2 | 2014 |
| 8 | Central African Republic | Sub-Saharan Africa | 70.1 | 2021 |
| 9 | Rwanda | Sub-Saharan Africa | 67.4 | 2016 |
| 10 | Lesotho | Sub-Saharan Africa | 65.0 | 2017 |
- All Top 10 countries are in Sub-Saharan Africa, reflecting the concentration of extreme and near-extreme deprivation in fragile and low-income contexts.
- The range inside the Top 10 is wide: from about 85.3% down to 65.0%.
- Some top entries have older survey years, so the ranking is better read as “latest known level” than as a synchronized 2025 snapshot.
Bar chart: Top 20 countries by poverty rate (latest available)
Horizontal bars to keep country labels readable.
Fallback table (Top 20)
| Rank | Country | Poverty rate (%) | Latest year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 85.3 | 2020 |
| 2 | Mozambique | 81.4 | 2022 |
| 3 | South Sudan | 76.5 | 2016 |
| 4 | Malawi | 75.4 | 2019 |
| 5 | Burundi | 74.2 | 2013 |
| 6 | Madagascar | 74.1 | 2022 |
| 7 | Niger | 72.2 | 2014 |
| 8 | Central African Republic | 70.1 | 2021 |
| 9 | Rwanda | 67.4 | 2016 |
| 10 | Lesotho | 65.0 | 2017 |
| 11 | Zambia | 64.9 | 2022 |
| 12 | Liberia | 64.1 | 2016 |
| 13 | Sierra Leone | 62.7 | 2018 |
| 14 | Guinea | 62.4 | 2018 |
| 15 | Mali | 62.3 | 2018 |
| 16 | Guinea-Bissau | 61.3 | 2018 |
| 17 | Gambia, The | 61.2 | 2020 |
| 18 | Uganda | 60.6 | 2019 |
| 19 | Togo | 59.6 | 2018 |
| 20 | Benin | 58.9 | 2021 |
Full Top 100 table
Sorted by highest poverty headcount rate first. “Latest year” reflects the newest non-empty survey year available for the chosen indicator.
| Rank | Country | Region | Poverty rate (%) | Latest year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | Sub-Saharan Africa | 85.3 | 2020 |
| 2 | Mozambique | Sub-Saharan Africa | 81.4 | 2022 |
| 3 | South Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa | 76.5 | 2016 |
| 4 | Malawi | Sub-Saharan Africa | 75.4 | 2019 |
| 5 | Burundi | Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.2 | 2013 |
| 6 | Madagascar | Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.1 | 2022 |
| 7 | Niger | Sub-Saharan Africa | 72.2 | 2014 |
| 8 | Central African Republic | Sub-Saharan Africa | 70.1 | 2021 |
| 9 | Rwanda | Sub-Saharan Africa | 67.4 | 2016 |
| 10 | Lesotho | Sub-Saharan Africa | 65.0 | 2017 |
| 11 | Zambia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 64.9 | 2022 |
| 12 | Liberia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 64.1 | 2016 |
| 13 | Sierra Leone | Sub-Saharan Africa | 62.7 | 2018 |
| 14 | Guinea | Sub-Saharan Africa | 62.4 | 2018 |
| 15 | Mali | Sub-Saharan Africa | 62.3 | 2018 |
| 16 | Guinea-Bissau | Sub-Saharan Africa | 61.3 | 2018 |
| 17 | Gambia, The | Sub-Saharan Africa | 61.2 | 2020 |
| 18 | Uganda | Sub-Saharan Africa | 60.6 | 2019 |
| 19 | Togo | Sub-Saharan Africa | 59.6 | 2018 |
| 20 | Benin | Sub-Saharan Africa | 58.9 | 2021 |
| 21 | Guatemala | Latin America & Caribbean | 57.2 | 2014 |
| 22 | Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | 57.0 | 2018 |
| 23 | Haiti | Latin America & Caribbean | 56.6 | 2012 |
| 24 | Tanzania | Sub-Saharan Africa | 56.2 | 2018 |
| 25 | Angola | Sub-Saharan Africa | 55.4 | 2018 |
| 26 | Ethiopia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 55.2 | 2015 |
| 27 | Chad | Sub-Saharan Africa | 55.0 | 2022 |
| 28 | Zimbabwe | Sub-Saharan Africa | 54.8 | 2019 |
| 29 | Congo, Rep. | Sub-Saharan Africa | 54.6 | 2011 |
| 30 | Somalia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 54.0 | 2017 |
| 31 | Tajikistan | Europe & Central Asia | 53.5 | 2022 |
| 32 | Eswatini | Sub-Saharan Africa | 53.3 | 2016 |
| 33 | Yemen, Rep. | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 53.1 | 2014 |
| 34 | Papua New Guinea | East Asia & Pacific | 52.7 | 2016 |
| 35 | Burkina Faso | Sub-Saharan Africa | 51.9 | 2018 |
| 36 | Cameroon | Sub-Saharan Africa | 51.7 | 2014 |
| 37 | Laos | East Asia & Pacific | 51.2 | 2018 |
| 38 | Afghanistan | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 50.6 | 2016 |
| 39 | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | 50.2 | 2022 |
| 40 | Cambodia | East Asia & Pacific | 49.6 | 2021 |
| 41 | Cote d'Ivoire | Sub-Saharan Africa | 49.4 | 2018 |
| 42 | Honduras | Latin America & Caribbean | 49.2 | 2023 |
| 43 | Myanmar | East Asia & Pacific | 49.1 | 2017 |
| 44 | Eritrea | Sub-Saharan Africa | 48.9 | 1992 |
| 45 | Zambia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 48.8 | 2015 |
| 46 | Nicaragua | Latin America & Caribbean | 47.7 | 2014 |
| 47 | Kenya | Sub-Saharan Africa | 47.6 | 2022 |
| 48 | Nepal | South Asia | 47.4 | 2022 |
| 49 | El Salvador | Latin America & Caribbean | 46.8 | 2019 |
| 50 | Mauritania | Sub-Saharan Africa | 46.6 | 2014 |
| 51 | Georgia | Europe & Central Asia | 46.2 | 2023 |
| 52 | Philippines | East Asia & Pacific | 46.1 | 2021 |
| 53 | Bangladesh | South Asia | 45.4 | 2022 |
| 54 | Ghana | Sub-Saharan Africa | 45.2 | 2016 |
| 55 | Namibia | Sub-Saharan Africa | 44.8 | 2015 |
| 56 | Pakistan | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 44.7 | 2018 |
| 57 | Bolivia | Latin America & Caribbean | 44.3 | 2022 |
| 58 | Senegal | Sub-Saharan Africa | 44.2 | 2018 |
| 59 | Sudan | Sub-Saharan Africa | 43.9 | 2014 |
| 60 | Cabo Verde | Sub-Saharan Africa | 43.7 | 2015 |
| 61 | India | South Asia | 43.5 | 2022 |
| 62 | Kiribati | East Asia & Pacific | 43.3 | 2006 |
| 63 | Djibouti | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 42.9 | 2017 |
| 64 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | East Asia & Pacific | 42.8 | 2013 |
| 65 | Albania | Europe & Central Asia | 42.7 | 2022 |
| 66 | Armenia | Europe & Central Asia | 42.5 | 2022 |
| 67 | Kosovo | Europe & Central Asia | 42.3 | 2021 |
| 68 | Tonga | East Asia & Pacific | 42.2 | 2015 |
| 69 | Equatorial Guinea | Sub-Saharan Africa | 41.7 | 2006 |
| 70 | Moldova | Europe & Central Asia | 41.6 | 2022 |
| 71 | Timor-Leste | East Asia & Pacific | 41.4 | 2014 |
| 72 | Fiji | East Asia & Pacific | 41.3 | 2019 |
| 73 | Comoros | Sub-Saharan Africa | 41.1 | 2013 |
| 74 | Dominican Republic | Latin America & Caribbean | 40.9 | 2022 |
| 75 | Samoa | East Asia & Pacific | 40.4 | 2013 |
| 76 | Botswana | Sub-Saharan Africa | 39.9 | 2015 |
| 77 | Sao Tome and Principe | Sub-Saharan Africa | 39.8 | 2017 |
| 78 | Mongolia | East Asia & Pacific | 39.7 | 2018 |
| 79 | Indonesia | East Asia & Pacific | 39.5 | 2023 |
| 80 | Gabon | Sub-Saharan Africa | 39.2 | 2017 |
| 81 | Nauru | East Asia & Pacific | 39.1 | 2012 |
| 82 | Vanuatu | East Asia & Pacific | 39.0 | 2019 |
| 83 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 38.7 | 2018 |
| 84 | Morocco | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 38.3 | 2019 |
| 85 | Ukraine | Europe & Central Asia | 38.0 | 2021 |
| 86 | Tunisia | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 37.8 | 2021 |
| 87 | Sri Lanka | South Asia | 37.4 | 2022 |
| 88 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 37.2 | 2019 |
| 89 | Peru | Latin America & Caribbean | 36.8 | 2023 |
| 90 | Kyrgyz Republic | Europe & Central Asia | 36.4 | 2023 |
| 91 | North Macedonia | Europe & Central Asia | 36.3 | 2021 |
| 92 | Jordan | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 36.0 | 2017 |
| 93 | Argentina | Latin America & Caribbean | 35.9 | 2023 |
| 94 | Bhutan | South Asia | 35.3 | 2022 |
| 95 | Colombia | Latin America & Caribbean | 35.2 | 2023 |
| 96 | Azerbaijan | Europe & Central Asia | 34.8 | 2023 |
| 97 | Iraq | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 34.4 | 2012 |
| 98 | Algeria | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 34.0 | 2011 |
| 99 | Turkey | Europe & Central Asia | 33.9 | 2022 |
| 100 | Paraguay | Latin America & Caribbean | 33.8 | 2023 |
For cleaner comparisons, always check the region and the latest year first—countries are not always observed in the same survey year.
Regional patterns (grouped blocks)
Even without a map, regional differences show up clearly through persistent clusters. The cards below summarize each region, and the chart uses medians to reduce the influence of outliers compared with averages.
Chart: Median poverty rate by region (countries with data)
Fix applied: the chart is horizontal and long region names use multi-line labels, preventing label collisions and any overflow beyond the container.
Fallback table (regional summary)
| Region | Countries with data | Median (%) | Mean (%) | Share >20% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 39 | 38.8 | 37.7 | 66.7% |
| East Asia & Pacific | 23 | 5.0 | 17.5 | 39.1% |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 24 | 2.8 | 9.8 | 20.8% |
| South Asia | 8 | 2.5 | 15.7 | 50.0% |
| Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan | 17 | 1.4 | 13.4 | 23.5% |
| North America | 2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0% |
| Europe & Central Asia | 58 | 0.4 | 5.7 | 13.8% |
Drivers of poverty differences (inflation, jobs, and transfers)
Poverty rates vary for structural reasons (productivity, demographics, geography) and for short-run reasons (inflation shocks, job losses, conflict). The headline poverty rate in this ranking is a symptom — but it can still guide the right questions:
- Inflation and food prices: When food inflation spikes, poverty can rise quickly because poor households spend a larger share of their budget on essentials. If a survey year coincides with a price shock, the poverty rate may look worse than in calmer periods.
- Jobs and earnings: Formal employment and stable self-employment reduce poverty through predictable cash flow. In countries where most workers are informal, shocks translate faster into poverty.
- Social transfers: Cash transfers, pensions, and targeted subsidies can reduce poverty headcounts, but only if coverage, targeting, and payment reliability are strong.
- Rural productivity: In many low-income settings, agriculture drives the bottom of the distribution. Drought, conflict, and input price shocks can push large groups under the poverty line.
- Fragility and conflict: Displacement, disrupted markets, and weakened institutions make poverty persistent and harder to measure regularly.
How to use this ranking correctly
A single poverty headcount number is easy to quote but easy to misuse. To keep interpretation honest:
- Compare like with like: use region and income group as your first filter; global comparisons are meaningful, but the policy levers differ widely.
- Check the survey year: this edition mixes survey years from 1992 to 2024, with a median around 2021. A country with older data may have changed materially since the last survey.
- Use national poverty lines for domestic policy: national lines (World Bank indicator SI.POV.NAHC) reflect local living costs and policy debates, but they should not be used for a strict country-to-country ranking.
- Look beyond headcount: poverty gaps, inequality (Gini), and multidimensional poverty provide a fuller picture of deprivation severity and constraints.
National poverty line vs international line (and where UNDP fits)
The World Bank international poverty line is built for comparability. National poverty lines are built for domestic relevance. Both matter — but for different questions.
- International line (this ranking): best for cross-country comparisons and broad regional patterns.
- National poverty line: best for domestic policy targets, social protection design, and accountability to local standards of living.
- UNDP Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI): complements money-metric poverty by measuring overlapping deprivations in health, education, and living standards. In countries where income is volatile or informal, MPI can add stability and detail.
For a macro context layer, compare poverty patterns with scale indicators: World GDP (PPP) by country World trade ranking
Methodology & sources
Indicator: World Bank / Poverty & Inequality Platform (PIP), poverty headcount ratio below the international poverty line (World Development Indicators code: SI.POV.DDAY). Values are expressed as % of population.
Ranking logic: We extracted the World Bank indicator archive and, for each country, selected the latest non-empty year available. Countries are then sorted from the highest poverty rate to the lowest. This is why the “Latest year” differs across rows.
Edition label (2025): “2025” refers to the year of compilation and the latest archive available in 2025, not a claim that every country has a synchronized 2025 survey.
Official indicator page, definition, and download links (CSV/XML/Excel). Source: World Bank PIP.
Primary platform for harmonized poverty and inequality estimates from household surveys.
Explains the June 2025 update of international poverty lines aligned with 2021 PPP benchmarks.
National poverty headcount ratio — useful for domestic policy, not strict cross-country ranking.
Complementary poverty measure based on overlapping deprivations (health, education, living standards).
