Photo: xiangyang17 · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale
Topic 14 of 18 · Country Index 2026
Taiwan: Poverty & Inequality
How is a country’s income shared, and how many live below a line?
Taiwan is placed joint 19th of 159 countries on poverty & inequality in the Country Index 2026, from 3 of its 3 key statistics. Readings behind it: Gini Index 31.57 (2023); Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day 0.01 (2023).
Share
Poverty & Inequality
joint19th
of 159 countries placed
Placed from 3 of 3 key statistics
Not placed in the Country Index 2026 overall: measured on too few topics.
01The evidence
The 3 key statistics that decide it
Only these place Taiwan 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 · Taiwan’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
31.57
Gini index (0 = perfect equality, 100 = perfect inequality)
Lower is better
Taiwan: 31.57. 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
Key 2 of 3
Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
World Bank Group
Latest reading per country, 2013–2023 · Taiwan’s is from 2021 · CC BY 4.0
0.01
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%)
Lower is better
Taiwan: 0.01. 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
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
3.8
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%)
Lower is better
Taiwan: 3.8. 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
02Over time
Which way Taiwan 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
TaiwanWorld median
Taiwan fell from 32.18 in 2005 to 31.57 in 2021; the world median went from 36.28 to 34.03.
Every year’s figures
Year Taiwan World median 2023 — 33.72 2022 — 33.91 2021 31.57 34.04 2020 31.23 34.18 2019 31.19 33.51 2018 31.64 35.25 2017 31.76 34.86 2016 31.45 34.47 2015 — 35.52 2014 — 34.79 2013 32.48 36.16 2012 — 35.40 2011 — 33.96 2010 33.22 33.71 2009 — 34.91 2008 — 34.60 2007 32.13 34.26 2006 — 35.63 2005 32.18 36.28 2004 — 34.29 2003 — 35.46 2002 — 37.14 Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day
Poverty gap at $3.00 a day, 2021 PPP (%) · lower is better
TaiwanWorld median
Taiwan rose from 0 in 2005 to 0.01 in 2021; the world median went from 1.25 to 0.335.
Every year’s figures
Year Taiwan World median 2023 — 0.345 2022 — 0.420 2021 0.01 0.335 2020 0.05 0.280 2019 0.03 0.380 2018 0.03 0.460 2017 0.00 0.300 2016 0.03 0.440 2015 — 0.500 2014 — 0.635 2013 0.05 0.515 2012 — 0.640 2011 — 0.430 2010 0.06 0.530 2009 — 0.600 2008 — 0.350 2007 0.00 0.360 2006 — 0.465 2005 0.00 1.250 2004 — 0.790 2003 — 1.650 2002 — 3.010 Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet
Share of the population unable to afford a healthy diet (%) · lower is better
TaiwanWorld median
Taiwan fell from 7.9 in 2017 to 3.8 in 2025; the world median went from 32.4 to 26.4.
Every year’s figures
Year Taiwan World median 2025 3.8 26.40 2024 4.3 27.10 2023 5.2 27.15 2022 5.2 27.90 2021 5.7 29.65 2020 5.2 31.80 2019 6.7 29.05 2018 7.4 29.85 2017 7.9 32.40
03In context
Taiwan 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.
Taiwan and Eastern Asia
Taiwan has no land border, so the table compares it with its sub-region. 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 (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan | =19th | 31.57 | 0.01 | 3.8 |
 South Korea | 29th | 32.91 | 0.06 | 5.3 |
 China | 39th | 36.05 | 0 | 11.3 |
 Mongolia | 48th | 31.42 | 0.08 | 29.8 |
 Japan | 56th | 32.34 | 0.55 | 13.2 |
 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 Taiwan in the topic’s list.
04Context, no vote
Where Taiwan is ahead of the world, and behind
8 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 median6
Statistics on which Taiwan does better than the middle country measured.
Multidimensional Poverty MeasureWorld Bank Group · 2025 · world median 4.2520.0494.252No earlier reading
Taiwan: 0.049 · 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 153rd of 157 · derived, 1st = worst.
Poverty Headcount at $3.00 a Day, Line-up EstimatesWorld Bank Group · 2024 · world median 2.102.1▲ Improved since 2014
Taiwan: 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.
Exclusion by Socio-Economic GroupV-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg · 2023 · world median 0.4130.0730.413▼ Worsened since 2013
Taiwan: 0.073 · 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 153rd of 174 · derived, 1st = worst.
Actual Individual Consumption per Capita (PPP)World Bank Group · 2021 · world median 12,80033,06112,800No real change since 2017
Taiwan: 33,061 · 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 22nd of 173 · derived.
Gini Index of Disposable Income (SWIID)Frederick Solt, University of Iowa · 2023 · world median 3329.233▼ Worsened since 2013
Taiwan: 29.2 · 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 61st of 79 · derived, 1st = worst.
Coefficient of Variation of Habitual Caloric ConsumptionFAO · 2024 · world median 0.250.220.25No real change since 2014
Taiwan: 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.
Level with the median, or no median to compare1
Intergenerational Persistence in EducationWorld Bank Group · 2017 · world median 0.4460.4460.446No earlier reading
Taiwan: 0.446 · 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 77th of 153 · derived, 1st = worst.
No better end1
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 4.555.484.55Moved since 2017
Taiwan: 5.48 · 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.
No current reading for Taiwan
Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Spending, Coefficient of Human Inequality, Gini Index (last 2021), Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Growth of the Poorest 40% (last 2021), Income Share Held by Lowest 20% (last 2021), Income Share Held by Richest 10% (last 2021), Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, Low Pay Rate, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person (last 2021), Palma Ratio (last 2021), Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount at National Poverty Lines, Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $4.20 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Headcount Ratio at $8.30 a Day (last 2021), Poverty Severity (Squared Poverty Gap) at $3.00 a Day (last 2021), Prevalence of Moderate or Severe Food Insecurity, Prosperity Gap (last 2021), Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate (last 2021), Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion and Working Poverty Rate. 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 Taiwan’s 8 topics
Poverty & Inequality is Taiwan’s 5th best-placed topic of 8. Strongest first, each marker at its share of that topic’s field.
- Gender & Equality2nd of 1833/4 keys
- Peace & Securityjoint 7th of 1773/4 keys
- Mobility & Trade16th of 1773/4 keys
- Digital & Technology21st of 1984/4 keys
- Poverty & Inequalityjoint 19th of 1593/3 keys
- Democracy & Civil Liberties30th of 1984/4 keys
- Governance & Institutions30th of 1943/4 keys
- Environment & Sustainabilityjoint 143rd of 1862/4 keys
No standing on Economy & Innovation, Work & Labour, Education & Knowledge, Health & Wellbeing, Development & Human Capital, Risk & Resilience, Food & Agriculture, Energy: too few of those topics’ key statistics are published for this country.
06The top of the list
Who leads on poverty & inequality
The three countries placed highest of 159, and the leaders Taiwan 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 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
Taiwan 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 Taiwan rank on poverty & inequality?
Taiwan is placed joint 19th 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 Taiwan?
31.57 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 Taiwan?
0.01 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 have Taiwan’s poverty & inequality figures changed?
Gini Index fell from 32.18 in 2005 to 31.57 in 2021; Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day rose from 0 in 2005 to 0.01 in 2021; Share of Population Unable to Afford a Healthy Diet fell from 7.9 in 2017 to 3.8 in 2025.
Which poverty & inequality statistics are missing for Taiwan?
No current reading is published for Taiwan on Adequacy of Social Protection and Labour Benefits, Catastrophic Out-of-Pocket Health Spending, Coefficient of Human Inequality, Gini Index, Gini Index of Monthly Earnings, Global Multidimensional Poverty Index, Income Growth of the Poorest 40%, Income Share Held by Lowest 20%, Income Share Held by Richest 10%, Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index, Low Pay Rate, Median Daily Income or Consumption per Person, Palma Ratio, Poverty Gap at $3.00 a Day, Poverty Headcount at National Poverty Lines, 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, Severe Child Food Poverty, Children Aged 6–23 Months, Societal Poverty Rate, Wealth Parity Index, Lower Secondary Completion and Working 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 8 statistics on this page come from 4 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
Taiwan’s banner and the countries placed highest, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Taiwan (banner) — xiangyang17, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 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). Taiwan: Poverty & Inequality — standing and statistics, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/countries/taiwan/poverty