Over the Last Four Decades, Extreme Poverty has Plummeted in China

In China in 1981, 97% of people in the countryside lived in extreme poverty. By 2020, the share was well below 1%. Large economic growth made it possible for hundreds of millions of people to leave extreme poverty behind, first in cities and then in the countryside.

Extreme poverty is defined as living below the International Poverty Line of $2.15/day. This is adjusted for both inflation and cost of living differences between countries — it’s the equivalent of what $2.15 could buy you in the USA.