A recent report based on data from the CIA World Factbook shows the share of populations living below the national poverty line in countries around the world, highlighting stark disparities between nations.
At the top of the list, Syria leads with 82.5% of its population living in poverty, followed by Zimbabwe (72.3%), Nigeria (70%), and South Sudan (66%). Other countries with high poverty rates include Burundi (64.6%), DR Congo (63%), Central African Republic (62%), Afghanistan (54.5%), and Yemen (54%).
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Several African nations also feature prominently, including Chad (46.7%), Senegal (46.7%), Sudan (46.5%), Niger (45.4%), Kenya (36.1%), Ethiopia (29.6%), and Tanzania (22.8%). High poverty levels are not limited to Africa, with countries like Mexico (46.2%), Pakistan (29.5%), and India (21.9%) also reporting significant shares of their populations living below the national poverty line.
In contrast, developed countries report much lower rates. The United States has 15.1% of its population below the poverty line, Germany 16.7%, the United Kingdom 15%, Canada 9.4%, and Japan 16.1%. Some countries record very low rates of poverty, including China (3.3%), Malaysia (3.8%), Ukraine (3.8%), and Taiwan at just 1.5%.
