Photo: Pudelek (Marcin Szala) derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
North Macedonia: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
North Macedonia is placed 69th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 33.51 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 1.5 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
69th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place North Macedonia 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 · North Macedonia’s is from 2019 · CC BY 4.0
33.51
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
North Macedonia: 33.51. 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 Southern Europe
- 24.68 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Albania 29.42 · Bulgaria 39.47 · Greece 33.44 · Serbia 32.82 · Kosovo 38.31
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · North Macedonia’s is from 2019 · CC BY 4.0
1.5
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
North Macedonia: 1.5. 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 Southern Europe
- 0 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Albania 0.04 · Bulgaria 0.42 · Greece 0.23 · Serbia 0.48 · Kosovo 5.6
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
15.6
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
North Macedonia: 15.6. 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 Southern Europe
- 2.3 Slovenia
- Land neighbours
- Albania 11.9 · Bulgaria 20.7 · Greece 22.7 · Serbia 8.5
02Over time
Which way North Macedonia 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
North MacedoniaWorld median
North Macedonia fell from 38.51 in 2002 to 33.51 in 2019; the world median went from 37.14 to 33.51.
Every year’s figures
Year North Macedonia World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 — 34.04 2020 — 34.18 2019 33.5 33.51 2018 33.0 35.25 2017 34.2 34.86 2016 34.5 34.47 2015 35.6 35.52 2014 35.2 34.79 2013 36.2 36.16 2012 38.1 35.40 2011 39.4 33.96 2010 40.1 33.71 2009 42.8 34.91 2008 46.1 34.60 2007 — 34.26 2006 42.6 35.63 2005 39.3 36.28 2004 38.4 34.29 2003 38.7 35.46 2002 38.5 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
North MacedoniaWorld median
North Macedonia rose from 0.65 in 2002 to 1.5 in 2019; the world median went from 3.01 to 0.38.
Every year’s figures
Year North Macedonia World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 — 0.335 2020 — 0.280 2019 1.50 0.380 2018 1.67 0.460 2017 2.41 0.300 2016 2.25 0.440 2015 2.86 0.500 2014 2.55 0.635 2013 2.56 0.515 2012 3.75 0.640 2011 5.12 0.430 2010 6.74 0.530 2009 5.45 0.600 2008 0.30 0.350 2007 — 0.360 2006 1.14 0.465 2005 0.76 1.250 2004 0.34 0.790 2003 0.56 1.650 2002 0.65 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
North MacedoniaWorld median
North Macedonia fell from 24.5 in 2017 to 15.6 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year North Macedonia World median 2025 15.6 26.40 2024 16.1 27.10 2023 17.2 27.15 2022 17.6 27.90 2021 18.5 29.65 2020 21.7 31.80 2019 20.4 29.05 2018 22.6 29.85 2017 24.5 32.40
03In context
North Macedonia 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.
North Macedonia 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Albania | 26th | 29.42 | 0.04 | 11.9 |
 Serbia | =49th | 32.82 | 0.48 | 8.5 |
 Greece | 55th | 33.44 | 0.23 | 22.7 |
| North Macedonia | 69th | 33.51 | 1.5 | 15.6 |
 Bulgaria | =82nd | 39.47 | 0.42 | 20.7 |
 Kosovo | 121st | 38.31 | 5.6 | — |
“—”: no published reading in that edition. What a standing is
Across Southern Europe
Every country in the sub-region, by its place among all 159.
Placed either side on poverty & inequality
The countries immediately above and below North Macedonia in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where North Macedonia 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 median11
Statistics on which North Macedonia does better than the middle country measured.
Global Multidimensional Poverty IndexOPHI · 2025 · world median 0.0390.0010.039▲ Improved since 2018
North Macedonia: 0.001 · 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 104th of 109 · derived, 1st = worst.
Income Growth of the Poorest 40%World Bank Group · 2024 · world median 1.8415.7651.841▼ Worsened since 2016
North Macedonia: 5.765 · 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.
Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food InsecurityFAO · 2024 · world median 20.99.220.9▲ Improved since 2015
North Macedonia: 9.2 · world median 20.9 · Population in moderate or severe food insecurity (%). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 2024 edition, data for 2024.
Published values in that edition run from 1 to 88.8; lower is better.
Position 98th of 135 · derived, 1st = worst.
Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary CompletionUIS · 2024 · world median 0.5290.8360.529No earlier reading
North Macedonia: 0.836 · 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 21.2610.9321.26No earlier reading
North Macedonia: 10.93 · 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 80th of 113 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.220.25No real change since 2014
North Macedonia: 0.22 · 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.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.2250.413▲ Improved since 2013
North Macedonia: 0.225 · 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 120th of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 17.0511.0517.05▲ Improved since 2013
North Macedonia: 11.05 · 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 115th of 169 · derived, 1st = worst.
Working Poverty RateILO · 2025 · world median 4.8850.7254.885▲ Improved since 2015
North Macedonia: 0.725 · 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.
Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · world median 0.6090.7230.609▲ Improved since 2013
North Macedonia: 0.723 · 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 56th of 169 · derived.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,80016,03912,800▲ Improved since 2017
North Macedonia: 16,039 · 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 73rd of 173 · derived.
Behind the world median3
Statistics on which North Macedonia does worse than the middle country measured.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.2524.3334.252No earlier reading
North Macedonia: 4.333 · world median 4.252 · Multidimensional poverty headcount ratio (%). World Bank Group, 2025 edition, data for 2025.
Published values in that edition run from 0 to 87.96; lower is better.
Position 76th of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.13.12.1No real change since 2014
North Macedonia: 3.1 · 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.
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.5440.446No earlier reading
North Macedonia: 0.544 · 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 25th of 153 · 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.
Cost of a Healthy DietFAO · 2025 · world median 4.555.394.55Moved since 2017
North Macedonia: 5.39 · 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.
Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health SpendingWorld Bank Group · 2019 · world median 6.887.8446.88No earlier reading
North Macedonia: 7.844 · 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.
Poverty Headcount at National Poverty LinesWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 21.821.921.8No earlier reading
North Macedonia: 21.9 · 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 North Macedonia
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Gini Index (last 2019), Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID) (last 2022), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2019), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2019), Low Pay Rate, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2019), Palma Ratio (last 2019), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2019), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2019), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2019), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2019), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2019), Prosperity Gap (last 2019) and Societal Poverty Rate (last 2019). 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 North Macedonia’s 16 topics
Poverty & Inequality is North Macedonia’s 8th best-placed topic of 16. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Health & Wellbeingjoint 30th of 2004/4 keys
- Food & Agriculture29th of 1844/4 keys
- Risk & Resilience32nd of 1934/4 keys
- Peace & Security41st of 1773/4 keys
- Development & Human Capitaljoint 55th of 1963/3 keys
- Economy & Innovation52nd of 1764/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions70th of 1944/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequality69th of 1593/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties89th of 1984/4 keys
- Gender & Equality85th of 1834/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade83rd of 1772/4 keys
- Digital & Technology95th of 1984/4 keys
- Energyjoint 87th of 1653/3 keys
- Education & Knowledge122nd of 1983/4 keys
- Work & Labour143rd of 1824/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainability154th of 1864/4 keys
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders North Macedonia 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 Europe
Belarus1st3/3 keysHighest in Southern Europe
Slovenia2nd3/3 keysThis page
North Macedonia69th3/3 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.
07Questions
North Macedonia 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 North Macedonia rank on poverty & inequality?
North Macedonia is placed 69th 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 North Macedonia?
33.51 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 North Macedonia?
1.5 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 North Macedonia compare with Greece on poverty & inequality?
Greece is placed 55th of 159, and North Macedonia 69th. Gini Index: Greece 33.44, North Macedonia 33.51; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day: Greece 0.23, North Macedonia 1.5; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet: Greece 22.7, North Macedonia 15.6.
How have North Macedonia’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 38.51 in 2002 to 33.51 in 2019; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day rose from 0.65 in 2002 to 1.5 in 2019; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 24.5 in 2017 to 15.6 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for North Macedonia?
No current reading is published for North Macedonia on Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Gini Index, Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID), 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, 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, Prosperity Gap and Societal Poverty Rate. They are listed rather than hidden, so the evidence on the page can be checked against it.
08Method
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 8 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
North Macedonia’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- North Macedonia (banner) — Pudelek (Marcin Szala) derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 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). North Macedonia: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/north-macedonia/poverty