Trends in Global Extreme Poverty from 1820-2018

According to OECD estimates, near the same number of people were living in extreme poverty in 2018 as in 1820. As the world population grew from 1 to 7.6 bn over the same period, the share of people living in extreme poverty declined from 76% in 1820 to 10% in 2018.

Measure of extreme poverty based on the cost of basic needs (CBN) method. See source for details on calculations.
Source: Moatsos M. (2021), “Global Extreme Poverty: Past and Present”, in OECD (2021), How Was Life? Volume II: New Perspectives on Well-Being and Global Inequality since 1820