Population below the international poverty line

What does this indicator tell us?

This indicator gives the prevalence of people living in extreme poverty, as measured by their daily consumption or income. It allows comparisons and aggregation of data on the progress of countries in reducing extreme poverty, as well as monitoring of global trends. It is also an indicator for Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1: "End poverty in its all forms everywhere".

How is this indicator defined?

The proportion of the population living below the international poverty line is the percentage living on less than US$ 1.90 a day at 2011 international prices. The US$ 1.90 per day poverty line is compared with consumption or income per person (including consumption of their own production and income in kind), and it reflects the minimum level necessary to meet basic needs. This poverty line has fixed purchasing power across countries or areas; hence, it is often called the "international poverty line".

Purchasing power parity is defined by comparing economies on the basis of standardized international US$ price weights, rather than on the basis of official currency exchange rates.

The value of the international poverty line is subject to periodic updates, in efforts to hold the real value of the poverty line constant in order to accurately assess rates of poverty.

What are the consequences and implications?

The proportion of the population below the international poverty line is used to assess and monitor poverty at the global level; however, as with other indicators, it is not equally relevant in all regions because countries have different definitions of poverty. People living in extreme poverty are at a high risk of malnutrition which, in turn, is one of the most important risk factors for disease. In the presence of poverty, malnutrition can result in a downward spiral that may end in death:

• poor people may consume too little nutritious food, making them more susceptible to disease;
• inadequate or inappropriate food consumption leads to stunted development or premature death;
• nutrient-deficient diets increase the risk of health problems; and
• disease decreases a person’s ability to cultivate or purchase nutritious foods.

Source of data

United Nations. Global Sustainable Development Goals indicators database (https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/database/).

Further reading

WHO. Turning the tide of malnutrition: responding to the challenge of the 21st century. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2000 (http://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/66505 ).