Poverty by Age
Children are over-represented in poverty in most countries — sometimes by 1.5-2× the adult rate. Elderly poverty rates vary much more across countries — from under 5% in countries with generous pensions to over 25% in some emerging markets and the US. Working-age poverty is concentrated among the unemployed, single parents, and gig-economy workers.
Key insights
Child poverty exceeds adult poverty in most OECD
OECD median child poverty: ~16%. Working-age: ~9%. Elderly: ~12%. Children's higher rates reflect: large families have more mouths to feed per earner, single-parent households are common, family benefits are sometimes inadequate. Nordic countries close the gap with generous family benefits; Mediterranean countries have larger gaps. US child poverty rose sharply when 2021 Child Tax Credit expansion expired.
Elderly poverty depends heavily on pensions
Countries with generous public pensions have low elderly poverty: France 4%, Netherlands 4%, Denmark 5%, Norway 4%. Countries with mandatory funded pensions also do well. Korea (40% elderly poverty), Estonia (35%), US (23%) have high elderly poverty — reflecting limited public pension coverage and/or low replacement rates. Elderly poverty is highly responsive to pension system design.
Working-age poverty concentrates in specific groups
Working-age poverty isn't uniformly distributed: single parents (35%+ poverty rate), unemployed (50%+), workers with low earnings and family responsibilities, gig-economy workers, recent immigrants. Cumulative employment over a year matters more than spot snapshots. EITC (US), Universal Credit (UK), prime d'activité (France) are designed to address working-poor; effects vary by program generosity.
Poverty rate by age group — selected OECD countries
% at-risk-of-poverty (below 50% median income)
Show data table
| % in poverty | |
|---|---|
| US child | 20 |
| US elderly | 23 |
| Korea child | 10 |
| Korea elderly | 40 |
| UK child | 12 |
| UK elderly | 15 |
| Germany child | 11 |
| Germany elderly | 16 |
| France child | 12 |
| France elderly | 4 |
| Sweden child | 9 |
| Sweden elderly | 11 |
| Netherlands child | 8 |
| Netherlands elderly | 4 |
Key Finding: US has elevated child and elderly poverty; Northern Europe shows compressed age-related poverty.
Elderly poverty rate — selected OECD countries
% of 66+ population below 50% median income
Show data table
| % elderly poor | |
|---|---|
| Korea | 40 |
| Estonia | 35 |
| USA | 23 |
| Latvia | 32 |
| Australia | 22 |
| Japan | 20 |
| UK | 15 |
| Spain | 15 |
| OECD avg | 14 |
| Italy | 11 |
| Germany | 11 |
| Sweden | 11 |
| France | 4 |
| Norway | 4 |
| Denmark | 5 |
| Netherlands | 4 |
Key Finding: Korea and Estonia have the highest elderly poverty in OECD; France, Norway, Denmark lowest.
Methodology & caveats
Relative vs absolute poverty
Most OECD comparisons use relative poverty (% below 50% or 60% of median income). Cross-country comparisons can use absolute thresholds (PPP-adjusted), but these are less standard for OECD comparisons. The relative measure captures inclusion in living standards but not absolute deprivation. World Bank uses absolute thresholds ($2.15, $3.65, $6.85/day PPP) for global comparisons.
Why children show higher poverty
Child poverty is mechanically higher because: large households with more dependents per earner, single-parent households disproportionate (90%+ headed by women), young parents have lower earnings, families with young children face childcare costs that reduce earnings. Family benefits and child allowances can offset this; OECD countries that maintain generous family benefits have substantially lower child poverty than peers.
Korea's elderly poverty puzzle
Korea's 40% elderly poverty rate is the highest in OECD despite rapid economic growth. Causes: public pension system is relatively new (introduced 1988, expanded gradually), low replacement rates, traditional family-support assumptions that have weakened, rapid urbanization breaking extended-family arrangements. Recent policy expansions (Basic Pension since 2014) have eased the worst but elderly poverty remains substantial.