Ashby Daniels

Poverty is falling no matter where you draw the line

A lot of naysayers like to argue that global poverty is only falling because the poverty line is set so extraordinarily low. Well, it turns out that no matter where you draw the line, the share of people living below it has fallen since 2000. At $3 a day, it dropped from 36% to 10%. At $10 a day, from 74% to 53%.

Line chart comparing the global income distribution in 2000 and 2024. At every daily income level, the share of people below it is lower in 2024. The share below $3 a day fell from 36% to 10%, below $5 from 57% to 25%, below $10 from 74% to 53%, and below $30 from 87% to 81%.
Share of the world's population living below each daily income level, 2000 vs. 2024, adjusted for inflation and cost-of-living differences. Our World in Data, using World Bank data.

As usual, the progress continues with very little attention from the mainstream media.