Less People Living in Poverty Across the Globe

Since 1991, the number of working poor – employed people who live on less than $1.90 per day, which is considered to be the international poverty line – has decreased substantially.

The number of employed people living in extreme poverty stood at 808 million people in 1991. As of 2021, the number had shrunk to 224 million employed persons living below the international poverty line.

Only a few decades ago, a large percentage of those classified as the working poor lived in Eastern Asia. However, with the rise of economic and political reforms, such as China’s National “8-7” Poverty Reduction Plan, millions of people were lifted out of poverty. Though there is still work to be done, recent decades show significant promise on a global scale in the fight to achieve better conditions for all.