The Poverty Line

The poverty threshold, or poverty line, is the minimum level of income deemed necessary to achieve an adequatestandard of living in a given country. In practice, like the definition of poverty, the official or common understanding of the poverty line is significantly higher in developed countries than in developing countries.

The common international poverty line has been roughly $1 a day, or more precisely $1.08 at 1993 purchasing-power parity (PPP). World Bank has done extensive work in this field.

Below is a table I found, that lists countries by the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line ; the poverty line deemed appropriate for a country by its authorities.

Population living below national poverty line (%)

Country	UNDP[7]	CIA[8]	Year	Other	Year
Afghanistan	42	53	2003	N/A	N/A
Albania	18.5	25	2004 est.	25	2002[9]
Algeria	22.6	25	2005 est.	N/A	N/A
Angola	N/A	70	2003 est.	N/A	N/A
Anguilla	N/A	23	2002	N/A	N/A
Argentina	N/A	23.4	Jan.-Jun. 2007	13.9	2009[10]
Armenia	50.9	26.5	2006 est.	51	2001[9]
Austria	N/A	5.9	2004	N/A	N/A
Azerbaijan	49.6	24	2005 est.	50	2001[9]
The Bahamas	N/A	9.3	2004	N/A	N/A
Bangladesh	49.8	45	2004 est.	50	2000[9]
Belarus	17.4	27.1	2003 est.	18	2002[9]
Belgium	N/A	15.2	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Belize	N/A	33.5	2002 est.	N/A	N/A
Benin	39	37.4	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Bermuda	N/A	19	2000	N/A	N/A
Bhutan	N/A	31.7	2003	N/A	N/A
Bolivia	64.6	60	2006 est.	54.0	2007[11]
Bosnia and Herzegovina	19.5	25	2004 est.	20	2002[9]
Botswana	N/A	30.3	2003	N/A	N/A
Brazil	21.5	31	2005	30.3	2007[11]
Bulgaria	12.8	14.1	2003 est.	13	2001[9]
Burkina Faso	46.4	46.4	2003	46	2003[9]
Burma	N/A	32.7	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Burundi	68	68	2002 est.	N/A	N/A
Cambodia	35	35	2004	35	2004[9]
Cameroon	40.2	48	2000 est.	40	2001[9]
Canada	N/A	10.8	2005[12]	4.9	2004[13]
Cape Verde	N/A	30	2000	N/A	N/A
Chad	43.4	80	2001 est.	N/A	N/A
Chile	17	18.2	2005	13.7	2006[11]
People's Republic of China	2.8	8	2006 est.[14]	N/A	N/A
Colombia	64	49.2	2005	46.8	2005[11]
Comoros	N/A	60	2002 est.	N/A	N/A
Congo, Democratic Republic of the	71.3	N/A		N/A
Congo, Republic of the	42.3	N/A		N/A	N/A
Costa Rica	23.9	16	2006 est.	18.6	2007[11]
Côte d'Ivoire	N/A	42	2006 est.	N/A	N/A
Croatia	11.1	11	2003	N/A	N/A
Djibouti	N/A	42	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Dominica	N/A	30	2002 est.	N/A	N/A
Dominican Republic	42.2	42.2	2004	44.5	2007[11]
Ecuador	45.2	38.3	2006	42.6	2007[11]
Egypt	16.7	20	2005 est.	17	1999-2000[9]
El Salvador	37.2	30.7	2006 est.	47.5	2004[11]
Eritrea	53	50	2004 est.	N/A	N/A
Estonia	8.9	5	2003	N/A	N/A
Ethiopia	44.2	38.7	FY05/06 est.	44	1999-2000[9]
Fiji	N/A	25.5	FY90/91	N/A	N/A
France	N/A	6.2	2004	N/A	N/A
The Gambia	61.3	N/A	N/A	61	2003[9]
Gaza Strip	N/A	80	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Georgia	54.5	31	2006	54	2003[9]
Germany	N/A	11	2001 est.	N/A	N/A
Ghana	28.5	28.5	2007 est.	28	2005-6[9]
Greece	N/A	N/A	N/A	20,1	N/A
Grenada	N/A	32	2000	N/A	N/A
Guam	N/A	23	2001 est.	N/A	N/A
Guatemala	56.2	56.2	2004 est.	54.8	2006[11]
Guinea	40	47	2006 est.	N/A	N/A
Guinea-Bissau	65.7		N/A	66	2002[9]
Haiti	65	80	2003 est.	N/A	N/A
Honduras	50.7	50.7	2004	68.9	2007[11]
Hungary	17.3	8.6	1993 est.	N/A	N/A
India	28.6	25	2007 est.	29	1999-2000[9]
Indonesia	16	17.8	2006	17	2004[9]
Iran	N/A	18	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Ireland	N/A	7	2005 est.	6.8	2004 est.[15]
Israel	N/A	21.6	2005[16]	N/A	N/A
Jamaica	18.7	14.8	2003 est.	19	2000[9]
Jordan	14.2	14.2	2002	14	2002[9]
Kazakhstan	15.4	13.8	2007	15	2002[9]
Kenya	52	50	2000 est.	N/A	N/A
South Korea	N/A	15	2003 est.	N/A	N/A
Kosovo	N/A	37	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Kyrgyzstan	43.1	40	2004 est.	43	2005[9]
Laos	33	30.7	2005 est.	33	2003[9]
Latvia	5.9	N/A	N/A	6	2004[9]
Lebanon	N/A	28	1999 est.	N/A	N/A
Lesotho	68	49	1999	N/A	N/A
Liberia	N/A	80	2000 est.	N/A	N/A
Libya	N/A	7.4	2005 est.	N/A	N/A
Lithuania	N/A	4	2003	N/A	N/A
Republic of Macedonia	21.7	29.8	2006	29.4	2007[17]
Madagascar	71.3	50	2004 est.	N/A	N/A
Malawi	65.3	53	2004	N/A	N/A
Malaysia	15.5	5.1	2002 est.	N/A	N/A
Maldives	N/A	21	2004	N/A	N/A
Mali	63.8	36.1	2005 est.	N/A	N/A
Mauritania	46.3	40	2004 est.	46	2000[9]
Mauritius	10.6	8	2006 est.	N/A	N/A
Mexico	17.6	13.8	2006[18]	31.7	2006[11]
Micronesia	N/A	26.7	2000	N/A	N/A
Moldova	48.5	29.5	2005	48	2002[9]
Mongolia	36.1	36.1	2004	36	2002[9]
Montenegro	N/A	7	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Morocco	19	15	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Mozambique	54.1	70	2001 est.	54	2002-3[9]
Nepal	30.9	30.9	2004	31	2003-4[9]
Netherlands	N/A	10.5	2005	N/A	N/A
Nicaragua	45.8	48	2005	61.9	2005[11]
Niger	63	63	1993 est.	N/A	N/A
Nigeria	34.1	70	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Norway	N/A	N/A	N/A	4.3	2007[19]
Pakistan	32.6	24	FY05/06 est.	N/A	N/A
Panama	37.3	37	1999 est.	29.0	2007[11]
Papua New Guinea	37.5	37	2002 est.	N/A	N/A
Paraguay	20.5	32	2005 est.	60.5	2007[11]
Peru	36.2	39.3	2008	36.2	2008[11]
Philippines	25.1	30	2003 est.	N/A	N/A
Poland	14.8	17	2003 est.	N/A	N/A
Portugal	N/A	18	2006	N/A	N/A
Romania	28.9	25	2005 est.	N/A	N/A
Russia	19.6	15.8	Nov. 2007	14	Mar. 2008[20]
Rwanda	60.3	60	2001 est.	60	1999-2000[9]
São Tomé and Príncipe	N/A	54	2004 est.	N/A	N/A
Senegal	33.4	54	2001 est.	N/A	N/A
Serbia	N/A	6.5	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Sierra Leone	70.2	70.2	2004	70	2003-4[9]
Slovakia	16.8	21	2002	N/A	N/A
Slovenia	N/A	12.9	2004	N/A	N/A
South Africa	N/A	50	2000 est.	N/A	N/A
Spain	N/A	19.8	2005	N/A	N/A
Sri Lanka	22.7	22	2002 est.	23	2002[9]
Sudan	N/A	40	2004 est.	N/A	N/A
Suriname	N/A	70	2002 est.	N/A	N/A
Swaziland	69.2	69	2006	69	2000-1[9]
Syria	N/A	11.9	2006 est.	N/A	N/A
Republic of China (Taiwan)	N/A	0.95	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Tajikistan	44.4	60	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Tanzania	35.7	36	2002 est.	36	2000-1[9]
Thailand	13.6	10	2004 est.	N/A	N/A
Timor-Leste	39.7	42	2003 est.	N/A	N/A
Togo	32.3	32	1989 est.	N/A	N/A
Tonga	N/A	24	FY03/04	N/A	N/A
Trinidad and Tobago	21	17	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Tunisia	7.6	7.4	2005 est.	3.8	2005[21]
Turkey	27	20	2002	20.5	2005[22]
Turkmenistan	N/A	30	2004 est.	N/A	N/A
Uganda	37.7	35	2001 est.	38	2002-3[9]
Ukraine	19.5	37.7	2003	20	2003[9]
United Arab Emirates	N/A	19.5	2003	N/A	N/A
United Kingdom	N/A	14	2006 est.	N/A	N/A
United States	N/A	12	2004 est.	12.6	2005[23]
Uruguay	N/A	27.4	2006[24]	18.1	2007[11][25]
Uzbekistan	27.2	33	2004 est.	28	2000[9]
Venezuela	52	37.9	end 2005 est.	28.5	2007[11]
Vietnam	28.9	14.8	2007 est.	29	2002[9]
U.S. Virgin Islands	N/A	28.9	2002	N/A	N/A
West Bank	N/A	46	2007 est.	N/A	N/A
Yemen	41.8	45.2	2003	N/A	N/A
Zambia	68	86	1993	68	2004[9]
Zimbabwe	34.9	68	2004	N/A	N/A