Photo: Seebeer Edited by Nicholasjf21 · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
China: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
China is placed 39th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 36.05 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 0 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
39th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place China on poverty & inequality — one vote each. Every value is the publisher’s own, read at the edition the Country Index 2026 used — or, for a survey-based key, each country’s latest reading; the grey ticks are every other country it was compared with, lowest on the left.
Key 1 of 3
Gini Index
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · China’s is from 2022 · CC BY 4.0
36.05
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
China: 36.05. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 23 (India) to 59.07 (Namibia); the world median is 33.72.
- World median
- 33.72
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 31.42 Mongolia
- Land neighbours
- Bhutan 28.45 · India 23 · Kazakhstan 29.19 · Kyrgyzstan 27.19 · Laos 38.8 · Myanmar 30.7 · Mongolia 31.42 · Nepal 30.02 · Pakistan 29.59 · Russia 33.01 · Tajikistan 38.03 · Vietnam 36.09
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · China’s is from 2022 · CC BY 4.0
0
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
China: 0. Across the 159 countries at their latest reading, values run from 0 (Czechia) to 48.69 (DR Congo); the world median is 0.345.
- World median
- 0.345
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 0 China
- Land neighbours
- Bhutan 0.001 · India 0.34 · Kazakhstan 0.01 · Kyrgyzstan 0.35 · Laos 3.26 · Myanmar 1.79 · Mongolia 0.08 · Nepal 0.31 · Pakistan 2.69 · Russia 0.04 · Tajikistan 1.56 · Vietnam 0.4
Key 3 of 3
Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2025 edition · data for 2025 · CC BY 4.0
11.3
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
China: 11.3. Across the 145 countries in this edition, values run from 0.6 (Belarus) to 93.9 (South Sudan); the world median is 26.4.
- World median
- 26.4
- Best in Eastern Asia
- 3.8 Taiwan
- Land neighbours
- Bhutan 3.7 · India 35.5 · Kazakhstan 3.4 · Kyrgyzstan 22.1 · Laos 49.7 · Mongolia 29.8 · Nepal 17.9 · Pakistan 63 · Russia 12.4 · Vietnam 7
02Over time
Which way China is moving
Each key’s published value, edition by edition, beside the world median. The Country Index 2026 is the first edition of the standing, so the standing itself has no history to chart yet.
Gini Index
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) · lower is better
ChinaWorld median
China fell from 41.96 in 2002 to 36.05 in 2022; the world median went from 37.14 to 33.91.
Every year’s figures
Year China World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 36.05 33.91 2021 35.79 34.04 2020 37.12 34.18 2019 38.17 33.51 2018 38.48 35.25 2017 39.04 34.86 2016 38.45 34.47 2015 38.57 35.52 2014 39.16 34.79 2013 39.72 36.16 2012 42.12 35.40 2011 42.31 33.96 2010 43.74 33.71 2009 — 34.91 2008 42.93 34.60 2007 — 34.26 2006 — 35.63 2005 40.89 36.28 2004 — 34.29 2003 — 35.46 2002 41.96 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
ChinaWorld median
China fell from 18.23 in 2002 to 0 in 2022; the world median went from 3.01 to 0.42.
Every year’s figures
Year China World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 0.00 0.420 2021 0.00 0.335 2020 0.00 0.280 2019 0.00 0.380 2018 0.04 0.460 2017 0.13 0.300 2016 0.21 0.440 2015 0.35 0.500 2014 0.72 0.635 2013 1.07 0.515 2012 3.52 0.640 2011 4.31 0.430 2010 6.10 0.530 2009 — 0.600 2008 8.18 0.350 2007 — 0.360 2006 — 0.465 2005 10.34 1.250 2004 — 0.790 2003 — 1.650 2002 18.23 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
ChinaWorld median
China fell from 28.8 in 2017 to 11.3 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year China World median 2025 11.3 26.40 2024 12.9 27.10 2023 14.5 27.15 2022 17.4 27.90 2021 16.6 29.65 2020 24.8 31.80 2019 22.9 29.05 2018 24.9 29.85 2017 28.8 32.40
03In context
China beside its neighbours
A position reads best beside the countries around it. Every position below is a place among all 159 countries on poverty & inequality, never a place within the region.
China and the countries it borders
Standing among all 159; the key columns are the publishers’ own values.
| Country | Standing | Gini IndexGini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality) | Poverty Gap at $3.00 a DayPoverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) | Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy DietShare of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Bhutan | 10th | 28.45 | 0.001 | 3.7 |
 Kazakhstan | 14th | 29.19 | 0.01 | 3.4 |
 Russiacompare | 38th | 33.01 | 0.04 | 12.4 |
| China | 39th | 36.05 | 0 | 11.3 |
 Kyrgyzstan | 42nd | 27.19 | 0.35 | 22.1 |
 Indiacompare | =44th | 23 | 0.34 | 35.5 |
 Nepal | 46th | 30.02 | 0.31 | 17.9 |
 Mongolia | 48th | 31.42 | 0.08 | 29.8 |
 Vietnam | 62nd | 36.09 | 0.4 | 7 |
 Myanmar | 66th | 30.7 | 1.79 | — |
 Pakistancompare | 93rd | 29.59 | 2.69 | 63 |
 Tajikistan | 104th | 38.03 | 1.56 | — |
 Laos | =119th | 38.8 | 3.26 | 49.7 |
 Afghanistan | not placed | — | — | — |
 Hong Kong | not placed | — | — | — |
 Macau | not placed | — | — | — |
 North Korea | not placed | — | — | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Eastern Asia
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below China in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where China is ahead of the world, and behind
17 more statistics filed under poverty & inequality, published in full and deliberately given no vote in the standing. Select a row for the publisher, the rank and the links.
Ahead of the world median10
Statistics on which China does better than the middle country measured.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.180.25No real change since 2014
China: 0.18 · world median 0.25 · Coefficient of variation of habitual calorie consumption across the population (standard deviation ÷ mean). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.17 to 0.4; lower is better.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.102.1▲ Improved since 2014
China: 0 · world median 2.1 · Population below $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP, World Bank line-up estimate (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 89.54; lower is better.
Income Growth of the Poorest 40%World Bank Group · 2024 · world median 1.8415.4231.841▼ Worsened since 2019
China: 5.423 · world median 1.841 · Annualized growth in real income or consumption per person of the bottom 40% (%). World Bank Group, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from -4.185 to 14.51; higher is better.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.8850.14.885▲ Improved since 2015
China: 0.1 · world median 4.885 · Employed people living in extreme poverty (%). International Labour Organization (ILO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0.007 to 86.02; lower is better.
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour BenefitsWorld Bank Group · 2023 · world median 18.6536.8318.65No earlier reading
China: 36.83 · world median 18.65 · Benefits received as a share of beneficiaries' total income or consumption (%). World Bank Group, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.455 to 90.86; higher is better.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.9060.529No earlier reading
China: 0.906 · world median 0.529 · Adjusted wealth parity index, lower secondary completion (poorest vs richest fifth; 1 = parity). UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 0.032 to 1.022; higher is better.
Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 MonthsUNICEF · 2024 · world median 21.2610.221.26No earlier reading
China: 10.2 · world median 21.26 · Children aged 6-23 months fed from at most 2 of 8 food groups (%). UNICEF, 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1.169 to 63.08; lower is better.
Position 81st of 113 · derived, 1st = worst.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.0160.039▼ Worsened since 2018
China: 0.016 · world median 0.039 · MPI (0–1). Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 0.517; lower is better.
Position 74th of 109 · derived, 1st = worst.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.670.609▲ Improved since 2013
China: 0.67 · world median 0.609 · IHDI (0–1). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.226 to 0.923; higher is better.
Position 67th of 169 · derived.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0515.2417.05▼ Worsened since 2013
China: 15.24 · world median 17.05 · Coefficient of Human Inequality (%). UNDP Human Development Report Office, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 4.865 to 43.08; lower is better.
Position 98th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Behind the world median4
Statistics on which China does worse than the middle country measured.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.4610.446No earlier reading
China: 0.461 · world median 0.446 · Correlation between own and parents' years of schooling, born 1980–89 (0–1). World Bank Group, 2017 edition, data for 2017.
Published values in that edition run from 0.123 to 0.66; lower is better.
Position 70th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.4480.413▲ Improved since 2013
China: 0.448 · world median 0.413 · Exclusion by socio-economic group index (0–1; higher = more exclusion). V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 0.014 to 0.969; lower is better.
Position 78th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,8009,28612,800▲ Improved since 2017
China: 9,286 · world median 12,800 · Actual individual consumption per capita (PPP, current international $). World Bank Group, 2021 edition, data for 2021.
Published values in that edition run from 688.7 to 52,654; higher is better.
Position 102nd of 173 · derived.
Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID)Frederick Solt, University of Iowa · 2023 · world median 3340.833▼ Worsened since 2013
China: 40.8 · world median 33 · Gini index of disposable household income (0–100), SWIID estimate. Frederick Solt, University of Iowa, 2023 edition, data for 2023.
Published values in that edition run from 22.3 to 51.2; lower is better.
Position 17th of 79 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end3
These describe the shape of a country — more is not better or worse, only different — so they are never ahead or behind.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.8823.986.88No earlier reading
China: 23.98 · world median 6.88 · Population in households spending more than 10% of their budget on health out of pocket (%). World Bank Group, 2019 edition, data for 2019.
Published values in that edition run from 0.133 to 31.21.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.553.644.55Moved since 2017
China: 3.64 · world median 4.55 · Cost of the cheapest locally available healthy diet, PPP dollars per person per day. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 2.66 to 8.27.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.8021.8No earlier reading
China: 0 · world median 21.8 · Population below the national poverty line (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 82.3.
No current reading for China
Gini Index (last 2022), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2022), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2022), Low Pay Rate (last 2008), Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2022), Multidimensional Poverty Measure, Palma Ratio (last 2022), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2022), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2022), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2022), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2022), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2022), Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity, Prosperity Gap (last 2022) and Societal Poverty Rate (last 2022). Listed rather than hidden, so the page can be checked against it.
“Position · derived” is this site’s ordering of the published values, 1st = best unless the row says otherwise; the publisher ranks no country on it. Rank, position and standing
05Country Index 2026
Poverty & Inequality among China’s 16 topics
Poverty & Inequality is China’s 5th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Food & Agriculture6th of 1844/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade9th of 1774/4 keys
- Digital & Technologyjoint 23rd of 1984/4 keys
- Health & Wellbeing47th of 2003/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality39th of 1593/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge51st of 1982/4 keys
- Economy & Innovationjoint 46th of 1764/4 keys
- Development & Human Capital62nd of 1963/3 keys
- Work & Labour60th of 1824/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience80th of 1934/4 keys
- Energyjoint 87th of 1653/3 keys
- Peace & Security102nd of 1774/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions125th of 1944/4 keys
- Gender & Equality124th of 1834/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability157th of 1864/4 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties178th of 1983/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders China can most readily be measured against.
1
BelarusEastern Europe
1st of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
2
SloveniaSouthern Europe
2nd of 159 · 3 of 3 keys
Photo: Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY 3.0, greyscale
=3
UkraineEastern Europe
Joint 3rd of 159 · 2 of 3 keys
Photo: uploaded by Chern038 · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Placed highest nearby
Highest in Asia
United Arab Emirates=3rd3/3 keysHighest in Eastern Asia
Taiwan=19th3/3 keysThis page
China39th3/3 keys
Positions out of 159 placed on the topic. A country needs readings on enough keys to be placed, and the top of the list is often held on fewer of them.
07Analysis
Charts and analysis about China and poverty & inequality
08Questions
China on poverty & inequality: questions answered
Every answer is built from the numbers on this page, so none can say something the page does not.
How does China rank on poverty & inequality?
China is placed 39th of 159 countries on Poverty & Inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics (Gini Index, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day and Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet). The position is this site’s ordering of published statistics, not a rank any publisher printed.
What is the latest Gini Index figure for China?
36.05 in 2023 (gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 33.72.
What is the latest Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day figure for China?
0 in 2023 (poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)), according to World Bank Group. The world median in the same edition was 0.345.
How does China compare with India on poverty & inequality?
India is placed joint 44th of 159, and China 39th. Gini Index: India 23, China 36.05; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: India 0.34, China 0; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet: India 35.5, China 11.3.
How have China’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 41.96 in 2002 to 36.05 in 2022; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day fell from 18.23 in 2002 to 0 in 2022; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 28.8 in 2017 to 11.3 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for China?
No current reading is published for China on Gini Index, Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Low Pay Rate, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Multidimensional Poverty Measure, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day, Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day, Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity, Prosperity Gap and Societal Poverty Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
09Method
Method, sources and how to cite
What this topic does not measure
These figures come from household surveys, which most countries run every few years rather than every year. So the subject's standing is read from each country's most recent survey of the last decade, with the year of every reading shown, rather than from one year in which only a minority of countries were surveyed. Two readings decide it — how unequally income is shared and how deep extreme poverty runs — because the other poverty and inequality measures here largely repeat one of those two or repeat average income, which already counts under Economy and Development. Countries with no survey in the last decade have no standing here. What work pays is under Work & Labour; wealth, as opposed to income, has no global source this site is permitted to republish.
How the Poverty & Inequality standing is decided
A standing is this site’s ordering, named with its edition — never a publisher’s rank. 3 key statistics vote, one vote each; every country’s published value becomes a place within that key’s own field, the places are averaged, and the average is never published. A country needs 2 of the 3 keys to be placed.
The poverty & inequality method, step by stepHow every standing on this site is built
The key statistics and their licences
- Gini Index — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day — World Bank Group, CC BY 4.0
- Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet — Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), CC BY 4.0
The other 17 statistics on this page come from 9 publishers, each named beside its numbers, with every edition and licence on the datasets pages.
The standing itself is part of the Country Index 2026, published under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photographs
China’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- China (banner) — Seebeer Edited by Nicholasjf21, Public domain
- Belarus — zedlik , cropped by Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Slovenia — Z.K. derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY 3.0
- Ukraine — uploaded by Chern038, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). China: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/china/poverty