Extreme Poverty in Australia: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)
Updated September 2026 · ⬇ download this dataset (CSV) · methodology
In the 2020s, extreme poverty in Australia stands at 0.5 % — ranking #26 of 157 countries. In 1900 it was 15 %. (Source: World Bank PIP, compiled by MYRIAD)
Extreme poverty is a stark metric of survival, representing a life lived on less than 2.15/day. It is not merely a statistic, but the aggregate story of millions moving from the precarious edge of existence toward relative stability. To live within this margin is to navigate a world where foundational security is absent and the daily struggle for basic needs defines the human experience. It is the difference between a life of constant fragility and one of enduring material safety.
The historical trajectory of Australia is one of steady, systematic decline. In the 1800s estimate, 40 % of the population lived in extreme poverty. This burden eased through the 1850s estimate of 27.5 % and the 1900s estimate of 15 %. This relentless downward trend continued until the 1980s, when the rate reached 1 %. Projections suggest this transformation will culminate in the 2060s projection onward, where the rate is anticipated to settle at 0.2 %.
In the 2020s, extreme poverty in Australia stands at 0.5 % — ranking #26 of 157 countries. For someone born today, the statistical likelihood of experiencing such deprivation has been minimized to a fraction of its former scale. The baseline of human life is fundamentally altered compared to ancestors who faced a society where nearly half the population struggled for survival. This shift represents a near-total transformation of the Australian landscape over three hundred years.
Explore how your own life parallels these historical shifts in our full country profile.
🇦🇺 Share of people living below the international extreme poverty line ($2.15/day, 2017 PPP). For Australia, the story across three centuries is below — every value is a statistical fact about the lives actually lived there.
Decade by decade
| Decade | Extreme Poverty (%) |
|---|---|
| 1800s estimate | 40 |
| 1810s estimate | 37.5 |
| 1820s estimate | 35 |
| 1830s estimate | 32.5 |
| 1840s estimate | 30 |
| 1850s estimate | 27.5 |
| 1860s estimate | 25 |
| 1870s estimate | 22.5 |
| 1880s estimate | 20 |
| 1890s estimate | 17.5 |
| 1900s estimate | 15 |
| 1910s estimate | 13 |
| 1920s estimate | 11 |
| 1930s estimate | 9 |
| 1940s estimate | 7 |
| 1950s | 5 |
| 1960s | 3.67 |
| 1970s | 2.33 |
| 1980s | 1 |
| 1990s | 1 |
| 2000s | 1 |
| 2010s | 0.75 |
| 2020s | 0.5 |
| 2030s projection | 0.38 |
| 2040s projection | 0.28 |
| 2050s projection | 0.21 |
| 2060s projection | 0.2 |
| 2070s projection | 0.2 |
| 2080s projection | 0.2 |
| 2090s projection | 0.2 |
| 2100s projection | 0.2 |
Keep exploring
- Life Expectancy at Birth in Australia
- Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) in Australia
- Child Mortality (under 5) in Australia
- Years of Schooling in Australia
- Children per Woman in Australia
- Living in Cities in Australia
- Full country profile: Australia
- Where do YOU rank among everyone ever born? →
Questions people ask
What is the Extreme Poverty in Australia today?
0.5 % in the 2020s (World Bank PIP).
How much did Extreme Poverty in Australia change since 1950?
From 5 to 0.5 % — a change of about -90%.
Where does Australia rank worldwide?
#26 of 157 countries covered by MYRIAD in the 2020s.