poverty line

American  

noun

1. a minimum income level used as an official standard for determining the proportion of a population living in poverty.

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Example Sentences

Around half of the population of the oil-rich country lives below the poverty line, according to the World Bank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

The World Bank estimates that almost 40% of Angolans could be living below the international poverty line of $3 per day.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Successful models can earn tens of thousands of dollars in a season, a life-changing amount in South Sudan where 92 percent live under the poverty line.

From Barron's • Mar. 13, 2026

Many of the families live or work in or near the Vermont Vista neighborhood, where more than a quarter of residents live below the poverty line, according to 2023 census data.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 22, 2025

Having stumbled upon a tolerable career, for the first time in my life I was actually living above the poverty line.

From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer