Human Rights Facts (51): Dramatic Decrease in World Poverty

I already mentioned some data about the evolution of world poverty (see here). Also interesting is this study:

World poverty is falling. Between 1970 and 2006, the global poverty rate has been cut by nearly three quarters. The percentage of the world population living on less than $1 a day (in PPP-adjusted 2000 dollars) went from 26.8% in 1970 to 5.4% in 2006.

one dollar a day poverty rate from 1970 to 2006

And this is notwithstanding an increase of world population by 80% over the same time. Somehow you never hear about this from the overpopulation hysterics.

The decrease in poverty rates is mostly thanks to China:

From 1970 to 2006, poverty fell by 86% in South Asia, 73% in Latin America, 39% in the Middle East, and 20% in Africa.

The study also estimates relative poverty, not only absolute poverty, or – in other words – income inequality, which is also decreasing:

world gini coefficient from 1970 to 2006

This is despite rising inequality in countries such as the U.S. (see here, here, and here). More on the gini coefficient here.