Bolivia: Prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Bolivia's prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 2.4 to 2.4).

Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was −2.7% and a typical year strayed about 15.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 38.3% in 2005 and the biggest yearly fall was 32% in 2001. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.16 a year. A straight line explains 82% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2024, Bolivia had the 13th highest value of the 20 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Bolivia in the 2024 ranking

• Moldova — 10th of 20: 2.6
• Mexico — 11th of 20: 2.5
• Paraguay — 12th of 20: 2.5
• Panama — 14th of 20: 2.4
• Argentina — 15th of 20: 2.1
• Dominican Republic — 16th of 20: 2.1

What this measures

The average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28 per day (adjusted for differences in purchasing power parity across countries). It is measured as the average factor by which incomes fall short of $28.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a population-weighted average.

All 27 values

Prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day) in nearby economies

• Argentina — 2.1 (2024)
• Brazil — 2.7 (2024)
• Chile — 1.6 (2024)
• Colombia — 4.7 (2024)
• Costa Rica — 1.7 (2025)
• Dominican Republic — 2.1 (2024)
• Ecuador — 3.1 (2025)
• El Salvador — 3.6 (2023)

More poverty data for Bolivia

• Income share held by second 20% — 10.4% (2024)
• Income share held by third 20% — 15.2% (2024)
• Income share held by fourth 20% — 22.2% (2024)
• Income share held by highest 20% — 46.7% (2024)
• Income share held by highest 10% — 30.6% (2024)
• Income share held by lowest 10% — 1.9% (2024)
• Income share held by lowest 20% — 5.4% (2024)
• Poverty headcount ratio at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (% of population) — 2.1% (2024)
• Poverty gap at $3.00 a day (2021 PPP) (%) — 0.6% (2024)
• Gini index — 40.9 (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Bolivia's prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day)?

2.4 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is down 38.46% from 3.9 in 1990 (1.42% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 14.7 in 2000 and the lowest 2.4 in 2023.

How does Bolivia rank?

13th highest of 20 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day) unusual for Bolivia?

In 2024, Bolivia's prosperity gap (average shortfall from a prosperity standard of $28/day) did not change 0% on 2023 (from 2.4 to 2.4). Across the 20 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2023), the average change was −2.7% and a typical year strayed about 15.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SI.SPR.PGAP, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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