Extreme Poverty in Angola: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

The story of Angola is written in the daily arithmetic of survival. Extreme poverty, defined by the international line of $2.15/day, 2017 PPP, represents the boundary between basic sustenance and the deprivation of essential human needs. When we examine the percentage of people living below this threshold, we are not just looking at economic indicators; we are observing the shifting reality of millions of lives. From the 1800s estimate of 80 to the projections for the 2100s estimate of 3.5, these figures delineate the human capacity for change across time.

For over a century, progress remained slow, with the 1800s estimate of 80 holding steady until a gradual decline began in the 1910s estimate of 79 and the 1920s estimate of 78. Significant movement emerged in the 1960s with 68.33 and the 1980s with 55. Today, in the 2020s, extreme poverty in Angola stands at 35 % — ranking #120 of 157 countries. Looking ahead, the 2030s projection of 26.25 and the 2090s projection of 4.67 illustrate a long-term trajectory toward the 2100s estimate of 3.5.

If you were born in the 1800s estimate of 80, your experience of the world was defined by a landscape where extreme poverty was the overwhelming norm. Contrast this with the 2020s, where 35 % of the population lives below that same threshold. The difference is not merely a statistical shift, but a transformation of the fundamental conditions of existence. As the 2050s projection of 14.77 approaches, the life of an average citizen continues to evolve alongside these numbers. Explore our interactive tools to calculate where you rank among everyone ever born.