Global Subnational Atlas of Poverty 2023: Mapping Inequality Across Regions and Revealing Stark Poverty Divides

The World Bank’s Global Subnational Atlas of Poverty (GSAP) offers an in-depth, data-driven look at poverty across the world, presenting one of the most detailed global poverty maps available to date. Using geospatial and subnational data, the 2023 update visualizes how poverty is distributed across countries and within regions, highlighting both progress and persistent inequalities.

The atlas measures poverty headcount ratios at different income thresholds — $3.00, $4.20, and $8.30 (2021 PPP) — providing a clearer picture of economic conditions beyond national averages. It also includes a prosperity gap indicator, which quantifies how far below the poverty line poor populations fall.

Africa: The Epicenter of Global Poverty

The 2023 map shows that Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most poverty-affected region in the world. Large areas of Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, and Mozambique show poverty headcount ratios exceeding 50% at the $3.00 daily income level.
In countries like South Sudan and Chad, poverty is both deep and widespread, with minimal improvement in recent years due to ongoing conflict, political instability, and limited access to essential infrastructure.

However, there are signs of progress in parts of West and East Africa, particularly in Ghana, Kenya, and Tanzania, where regional growth and targeted development initiatives have begun reducing poverty rates in some subnational zones.

Asia: Uneven Progress Amid Economic Growth

Asia presents a mixed picture. While major economies like China, India, and Indonesia have seen substantial reductions in extreme poverty, regional disparities remain visible.
In India, for example, poverty levels below $3.00 per day are now under 10% in many states, but rural belts in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha still show higher vulnerability.

Southeast Asian nations such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Thailand have made steady progress toward poverty reduction, yet small pockets of high poverty persist in rural and mountainous areas. Meanwhile, Afghanistan and Myanmar continue to face severe economic distress, reflected in widespread poverty above 30%.

Latin America: Moderate but Persistent Poverty

In Latin America, most countries show poverty headcount ratios between 10% and 30%, with relatively better performance in Chile, Uruguay, and Costa Rica.
However, parts of Central America, including Honduras and Nicaragua, remain economically fragile, where low income and limited employment opportunities keep millions below the global poverty line.
Economic shocks from inflation, debt crises, and uneven post-pandemic recovery have slowed progress across the continent.

The Prosperity Gap: Beyond Poverty Rates

The prosperity gap metric adds an important dimension — showing how far below the poverty threshold poor households are. Regions in Central and Western Africa exhibit some of the world’s largest prosperity gaps, meaning that even small income gains could make a significant difference for millions of people.

This data highlights the need for targeted interventions — such as access to education, digital inclusion, and rural infrastructure — that can help bridge income inequality and reduce extreme deprivation.

Global Outlook: Progress with Persistent Inequality

The World Bank’s findings reveal that although global poverty has declined since 2010, inequality between and within countries remains substantial. Wealthier regions of Europe, North America, and East Asia show poverty headcount ratios below 5%, while parts of Africa and South Asia still face high vulnerability.

The 2023 GSAP underscores that poverty is increasingly a localized challenge — driven by geography, governance, and access to services — rather than just national-level economic growth.

Conclusion

The Global Subnational Atlas of Poverty (GSAP) stands as a vital tool for policymakers, researchers, and development organizations. By mapping poverty at a subnational level, it reveals the hidden pockets of deprivation that national averages often conceal.

As the world strives to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030, this data serves as both a warning and a roadmap — reminding us that global progress depends not only on economic growth but on equitable and inclusive development that reaches every community.