The share of people living in poverty decreased dramatically over the last decade, according to new data from Pew Research Center.

Although a majority of the world population is still considered "low income," the share for "poor" was halved between 2001 and 2011. The middle class also grew.



Courtesy Pew Research Center

Being considered middle class throughout the world, though, is quite different than what would be considered middle class in the U.S. Much of the worldwide middle class would actually be below the poverty line in the U.S., which is $15.77 per day per capita for a four-person household. By contrast, the poverty line in India is $1.90 per day — more similar to the World Bank's global standard for extreme poverty — $2 a day.

Courtesy Pew Research Center

Without a change in income distribution, the number of people living in poverty would have increased by 198 million between 2001 and 2011 from population growth. Instead, the number of poor people decreased by 669 million, meaning that income growth eliminated poverty for 867 million people in the 2000s.

North America has the highest percentage of people who are considered "high income," while Europe has the most people in the middle class. Slightly more than half of people living in the United States live on more than $50 a day. In 2011, 63 percent of high-income people lived in the Europe or North America — down from 76 percent in 2001.



Courtesy Pew Research Center

By contrast, African countries had the highest share of people living in poverty. Just 2 percent of the U.S. population lives in what is considered poverty by the international community.

Courtesy Pew Research Center



China largely drove the rise of the global middle class, increasing its share of middle class by 15 percent or by 203 million people. Nearly one in five of the world population lives in China.



Courtesy Pew Research Center