This figure illustrates the proportion of the global population that lived in extreme poverty over the period from 1820 to 2018.

Figure 1.3: Share of the World Population in Extreme Poverty (1820–2018)

Extreme poverty is a condition characterized by severe deprivation of basic human needs. Quantitatively, it is measured by the World Bank using the International Poverty Line (IPL), which is a threshold set at a specific monetary value per day. This line is periodically updated to reflect changes in the costs of basic necessities and is expressed in international dollars to ensure comparability across countries by accounting for purchasing power parity. For much of the recent historical data, this line is set at $1.90 per day (in 2011 prices).

Definition of Extreme Poverty (International Poverty Line)

People without the basic necessities of life: food, shelter and clothing 
- Establishes minimum income level that the government says is required to buy basic necessities
- The Poverty threshold in 2019 was $25,926 for a family of 2 adults and 2 children


University of Connecticut

Ways to Look at Poverty

Barian, A. et. al. (2020). A Sociology Experiment. https://www.sociologyexperiment.com/ 

A Sociology Experiment

Absolute Poverty

- Takes into account the relative economic status of people in a society by looking at how income is distributed
- Those in the lowest income bracket would be considered poor in comparison to others in their society

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