New World Bank country classifications by income level: 2020-2021 (2023)

  • Umar Serajuddin
  • Nada Hamadeh
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Updated country income classifications are available here.

The World Bank assigns the world’s economies to four income groups—low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high-income countries. The classifications are updated each year on July 1 andare based on GNI per capita in current USD (using the Atlas method exchange rates) of the previous year (i.e. 2019 in this case).

The classifications change for two reasons:

  1. In each country, factors such as economic growth, inflation, exchange rates, and population growthinfluence GNI per capita. Revisions to national accounts methods and data can also influence GNI per capita. The updated data on GNI per capita data for 2019 can be accessed here.
  1. To keep the income classification thresholds fixed in real terms, they are adjusted annually for inflation. The Special Drawing Rights (SDR) deflator is used which is a weighted average of the GDP deflators of China, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Euro Area. This year, the thresholds have moved up in line with this inflation measure. The new thresholds (to be compared with GNI per capita in current USD, Atlas method) are as follows.

Changes in classifications

The table below lists the ten economies that are moving to a different category. It is important to emphasize that the World Bank’s income classifications use the GNI of the previous year (2019 in this case). Thus, the GNI numbers that are used for this year’s classification do not yet reflect the impact of COVID-19.

National accounts revisions have played a significant role in the upward revision for Benin, Nauru and Tanzania. For Sudan, the GNI series for 2009-2018 has been revised as a result of revisions to the exchange rates. The 2018 GNI per capita figure has been revised down to $840 from the previously published figure of $1,560 (which is listed in the table). Algeria, Indonesia, Mauritius, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Romania were very close to the respective thresholds last year.

More information

More detailed information on how the World Bank classifies countries is available here. The country and lending groups page provides a complete list of economies classified by income, region, and lending status and links to previous years’ classifications. The lending groups (IDA, Blend, IBRD) have also been updated. The classification tables include all World Bank members, plus all other economies with populations of more than 30,000. The term country, used interchangeably with economy, does not imply political independence but refers to any territory for which authorities report separate social or economic statistics.

Data for GNI, GNI per capita, GDP, GDP PPP, and Population for 2019 are now available on the World Bank's Open Data Catalog. Note that these are preliminary estimates and may be revised. For more information, please contact us at data@worldbank.org.

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The World Region

Authors

Umar Serajuddin

Manager, Development Data Group, The World Bank

More Blogs By Umar

Nada Hamadeh

Manager, Development Data Group, World Bank

More Blogs By Nada

185

Joshua Simon Lebabu

July 09, 2020

Is it possible to have a country moved from a lower class to a higher class while majority of it's citizens are poor?

If yes, then what does that mean?

Krina Patel

August 23, 2021

Yes, it is possible. It shows that the rich sections of that country have got more richer while the poor section are still poor or probably have become more poorer.

CPA JORAM YONA MSAWA

July 09, 2020

Many thanks for my lovely country to be MIC

Jaffer kalinga

July 09, 2020

still need more explanation about Tanzania to enter in mid income in 2020

Mbugi

August 23, 2021

Tanzania ranked to a lower middle income (LMI)

Edwin

July 09, 2020

This is useful information

Prosper Juma

July 09, 2020

Tanzanians are happy to move forward to the next step???

Eric V Swanson

July 09, 2020

Umar and Nada,
Thanks for keeping this important tool up to date. I know there is an important internal mandate, but the income estimates and classifications have many external users as well.

Best wishes, Eric

Bello Mustapha Adekunle

July 09, 2020

Great work and effort. Although, I have always been skeptical regarding the theory of Inflation which is one of the good indicator of country GDP and others key factors of economic indicators.
But in the case of my country the reverse is the case, the general prices of goods and services are inflating without abundance supply of money in circulation.

1. Please what can you say about this economic scenario?
2. Will it not be a bias data to be use for economic analysis?
3. Economist views and solutions to such scenarios.

Thanks and Regards.

Deogratius Dotto

July 09, 2020

I appreciate for your classification report.
Nevertheless, I would like to understand the methodology usually used to collect and analyse the data in developing countries given the majority of small business are still informally organized.

Dr. Eddy Wamlume

July 09, 2020

Basic Education, Industrialization are the key two factors you can use to measure economic class in a country.

What is basic education means
The knowledge or skills that enable an individual to live and gets daily basis needs.

Madhusudan Dhungel

July 09, 2020

Good information to Nepal.

Eisa H Mohammed

July 09, 2020

Excellent report

Henry Mwinuka

July 09, 2020

I am very proud of my Country Tanzania.

wilson callixte,

October 14, 2020

am so happy to hear that Tanzania improve to any stage through their efforts,am so proudly with my country tanzania wish us to be encouraged on still producing much and hardwork be firstly rather than other thing

Sachindra upadhysy

July 09, 2020

Good news for nepal

Sébastien KASAU

July 09, 2020

Very useful, although my country, DRCongo, still low-income one.

Clemence

July 09, 2020

What about the case of dropping to a lower level does happen

Deodath Silayo Gaudenve

July 09, 2020

Tanzania weldone

Sara A.

July 09, 2020

Do these changes impact the ICP 2017 Report on the global share of the world's economy?

Marak

July 09, 2020

Together we can eradicate poverty. By creating more job opportunities. Helping hands and being innovative. Also creating empowerment programs to help build individuals for national interest.

Elizaphan Mwangi

July 09, 2020

Very informative and reliable.Kindly when updating us on the economies moving up or down,present the other countries in full.Lets keep safe from Covid-19.Thank you very much

Kalum Sanjeewa

July 09, 2020

income of Sri Lanka mainly dropped due the terrorist attack in 2019
interest if the country can show an improvement in next years

Arun Kumar Tyagi

October 14, 2020

Excellent work.
How do we explain the position of a country when theoretically nation falls in lower middle income in terms of GNI/ Per person income but almost one third population falls below poverty line as per govt own data.

Abimbola Ishaq Aderemi

October 14, 2020

I want to believe that GNI Per capita is always influenced by value of one national currency and particularly exchange rates. If inflation rate is not factored in determining the GNIper capita ,the ranking may not necessarily reflect the actual living conditions and standards of living of the countries considered in your ranking.

Aryal Chudamani

October 14, 2020

Thanks you very much for valuable information.

Rodelio Angeles

October 14, 2020

It is a kind of big help as Lower Middle class thanks for this program ?

Ashok Kumar P. Aubeeluck

October 14, 2020

I am proud that Mauritius has attained the status of HIC but with the bleak performance as a result of COVID-19, will Mauritius retain this position in 2021?

Chandrashekhar shekhar singh

August 05, 2020

Thanks Nadia and Umar for this report . I hope India will become a high income countries in future . not only in incomes but also a better performance of the India in HDI report.

ASIM

October 14, 2020

Pakistan is eligible for this project?

Rony patra

October 14, 2020

It's very important information for every citizen of the country to be known

Adrian Anthony

October 14, 2020

Am proud of my country Tanzania the way its economy grows fast.
Though we need more clarifications economy growth vs personal income

Himal bahadur saru

December 06, 2020

It is really good news for nepal.

Eric Wijaya

March 01, 2021

Thank you for the report, Umar and Nada. As an Indonesian, I am very happy with the news coming from my country and wish the development in Indonesia keep on improving in all sectors ??

Shehla Kazmi

August 23, 2021

Great Work!
I wanted to ask about the previous ranking reports, where can I get for 1995? kindly guide.

WALUFU EVANS

August 23, 2021

Thanks for this information, Where does Uganda fall as I have not seen it on the list, thanks

Nalin Premadasa

August 23, 2021

Sri Lanka was upper middle income country but now in lower middle income country. what policy changes will need gain high economic growth

FAQs

New World Bank country classifications by income level: 2020-2021? ›

The World Bank Group assigns the world's economies[1] to four income groups – low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. The classifications are updated each year on July 1, based on the GNI per capita of the previous calendar year.

What are the country income groups World Bank classification? ›

The World Bank Group assigns the world's economies[1] to four income groups – low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. The classifications are updated each year on July 1, based on the GNI per capita of the previous calendar year.

What measure does the World Bank use for categorizing countries based on income? ›

Economies are currently divided into four income groupings: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high. Income is measured using gross national income (GNI) per capita, in U.S. dollars, converted from local currency using the World Bank Atlas method.

Which are high income countries according to World Bank? ›

High income
  • American Samoa.
  • Andorra.
  • Antigua and Barbuda.
  • Aruba.
  • Australia.
  • Austria.
  • Bahamas, The.
  • Bahrain.

Which countries are low-income countries according to World Bank? ›

Low income
  • Afghanistan.
  • Burkina Faso.
  • Burundi.
  • Central African Republic.
  • Chad.
  • Congo, Dem. Rep.
  • Eritrea.
  • Ethiopia.

What are the 4 income levels? ›

The World Bank classifies economies for analytical purposes into four income groups: low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high income.

What are the income class categories? ›

Household Size
1 Person4-Person Families
Lower-Income RangeLess than $34,400Less than $60,499
Middle-Income Range$34,000-$103,200$60,499-$181,496
Upper-Income RangeMore than $103,200More than $181,496
Sources: Pew Research Center, U.S. Census Bureau
Nov 17, 2021

What are middle-income countries? ›

“Middle-income countries face a set of global challenges that require joint action” 11 May 2023 - Around the world, 107 nations rank as middle-income countries. They generate a per capita income from about $1,000 to more than $12,000 per year and together, they are home to three quarters of the world population.

What are the categories of countries? ›

Country classifications

For analytical purposes, the WESP classifies all countries of the world into one of three broad categories: developed economies, economies in transition and developing economies.

How do you measure income level in a country? ›

The measurement of income distribution is calculated by dividing the 'Gross Domestic Product (GDP)' by the nation's population, with the GDP being a measure of the market value for all goods and services produced. This measure is commonly used to get an estimate of the economic performance of the nation as a whole.

Is USA a high income country? ›

For example, the United States has a GNI per capita of over $70,000, while the GNI per capita in some low income countries is less than $1,000. High income countries also tend to have much higher levels of human development than other countries.

What is a upper middle class salary? ›

Many have graduate degrees with educational attainment serving as the main distinguishing feature of this class. Household incomes commonly exceed $100,000, with some smaller one-income earners household having incomes in the high 5-figure range.

What is a middle income country World Bank? ›

The world's Middle Income Countries (MICs) are a diverse group by size, population, and income level. They are defined as lower middle-income economies - those with a GNI per capita between $1,036 and $4,045; and upper middle-income economies - those with a GNI per capita between $4,046 and $12,535 (2021).

What is the classification of a low income country? ›

Countries Classified as Low-Income Countries (2023 World Bank):
AfghanistanGuinea-BisseauSierra Leone
Burkina FasoLiberiaSomalia
BurundiMadagascarSouth Sudan
Central African RepublicMalawiSudan
ChadMaliSyria
5 more rows

How do you classify low-income countries? ›

For the current 2024 fiscal year, low-income economies are defined as those with a GNI per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method, of $1,135 or less in 2022; lower middle-income economies are those with a GNI per capita between $1,136 and $4,465; upper middle-income economies are those with a GNI per ...

Is the US a low income country? ›

United States of America. The United States of America is a notable case of a high-income country that has life expectancy lower than would be expected given its high gross domestic product (− 2.87 years).

What salary is considered rich in USA? ›

Based on that figure, an annual income of $500,000 or more would make you rich. The Economic Policy Institute uses a different baseline to determine who constitutes the top 1% and the top 5%. For 2021, you're in the top 1% if you earn $819,324 or more each year. The top 5% of income earners make $335,891 per year.

What salary is middle class? ›

The Pew Research Center defines the middle class as households that earn between two-thirds and double the median U.S. household income, which was $65,000 in 2021, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.21 Using Pew's yardstick, middle income is made up of people who make between $43,350 and $130,000.7 This is a ...

What defines you as upper class? ›

The term upper class is a socioeconomic term used to describe those who reside on the highest levels of the social ladder above the middle and working or lower classes. They generally have the highest status in society and hold a great deal of wealth.

What are the 5 social classes? ›

The five social classes in the United States are:
  • upper class.
  • upper middle class.
  • lower middle class.
  • working class.
  • poor.
Nov 12, 2021

What is lower upper class? ›

This class divides into two groups: lower‐upper and upper‐upper. The lower‐upper class includes those with “new money,” or money made from investments, business ventures, and so forth. The upper‐upper class includes those aristocratic and “high‐society” families with “old money” who have been rich for generations.

What is considered a high-income country? ›

A high-income economy is defined by the World Bank as a country with a gross national income per capita of US$13,845 or more in 2022, calculated using the Atlas method. While the term "high-income" is often used interchangeably with "First World" and "developed country," the technical definitions of these terms differ.

What are 3 low-income countries? ›

Low Income Country List
AfghanistanMadagascar
El SalvadorSierra Leone
EritreaSolomon Islands
EthiopiaSomalia
GambiaSouth Sudan
30 more rows

What are examples of high-income countries? ›

  • About Disposable Income Per Capita.
  • United States.
  • Luxembourg.
  • Australia.
  • Germany.
  • Switzerland.
  • Norway.
  • Austria.

What is the criteria for classifying countries? ›

The main criterion used by the World Bank in Classifying Different Countries is based on their per capita income. Per capita income refers to the average income of the country.

What criteria is used to classify countries? ›

  • Per capita income is the main criterion used by the World Bank in classifying different countries.
  • Per capita income is the total income of the country divided by the number of people in that country.

What are first category countries? ›

Examples of first world countries include the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Several Western European nations qualify as well, especially Great Britain, France, Germany, Switzerland, and the Scandinavian countries. The ways that first world countries are defined can vary.

How do you measure if a country is rich or poor? ›

It's called GDP, or 'gross domestic product' - the total value of everything a country produces and sells.

Which country is richest than USA? ›

According to McKinsey & Co, the top richest countries in the world are—China, the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Japan, Mexico, and Sweden.

What rank of affluence is the US? ›

United States (Ranked 19th) :: Legatum Prosperity Index 2023.

Is America richer than Europe? ›

By almost any economic statistic we can find, Americans tend to enjoy higher material standards of living than their European counterparts. But when it comes to quality-of-life measures that aren't included in GDP, Europe tends to come out ahead.

Is 200k salary upper middle class? ›

If you had an income of $200,000, that would put you in the top 10% of household incomes or the top 5% of individual incomes in 2021. Though I prefer household income over individual income, no matter how you cut it, $200k a year puts you on the higher end of the income spectrum.

Is 150k a year middle class? ›

Across the entire country, that range is between $47,189 and $141,568, based on Census Bureau income data. But $150,000 is still a middle-class income by Pew's definition in nearly half of the country's 50 most-populated metropolitan areas, where incomes tend to be high.

What is considered wealthy? ›

To feel wealthy, Americans say you need a net worth of at least $2.2 million on average, according to financial services company Charles Schwab's annual Modern Wealth Survey.

What is the median income in the World Bank? ›

However, the median (also called "typical") income is $40,000, which is fairly accurate for everyone but Jordan. World Bank tracks a number of income- and poverty-related metrics, including GDP per capita, GNI per capita, GINI coefficient per country, and median income.

Is Mexico a low income country? ›

Mexico is an upper middle income country focused on manufacturing goods and free trade agreements with around 40-50 countries. It has 2.458 trillion dollars in GDP (purchasing power parity) making it the 15th largest economy in the world. It is a member of the OECD, NAFTA, APEC, WTO, and the G20.

Is China a middle-income country? ›

China is now an upper-middle-income country. Although China has eradicated extreme poverty, a significant number of people remain vulnerable, with incomes below a threshold more typically used to define poverty in upper-middle income countries.

What is a lower middle class income country? ›

Lower-middle-income countries are those with GNI per capita between $1,085 and $4,255, representing a diverse set with wide variation in size, population, GDP, sociopolitical landscape, and health needs.

What are low-income countries and high income countries? ›

GDP per capita also allows us to rank countries into high-, middle-, or low-income groups. Low-income countries are those with $1,025 per capita GDP per year; middle-income countries have a per capita GDP between $1,025 and $12,475; while high-income countries have over $12,475 per year per capita income.

What salary is considered poor in the US? ›

In 2023, the federal poverty level definition of low income for a single-person household is $14,580 annually. Each additional person in the household adds $5,140 to the total. For example, the poverty guideline is $30,000 per year for a family of four.

What income level is considered poor in America? ›

2021 POVERTY GUIDELINES FOR THE 48 CONTIGUOUS STATES AND THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Persons in family/householdPoverty guideline
1$12,880
2$17,420
3$21,960
4$26,500
5 more rows

Which state has low income in USA? ›

Mississippi tops the list as the poorest state in the US, with an alarming poverty rate of 18.70%. Despite its rich history and cultural heritage, the state faces numerous economic challenges, including limited job opportunities, low wages, and a high percentage of residents living below the poverty line.

What are the groups in World Bank? ›

The World Bank Group
  • International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
  • International Development Association (IDA)
  • International Finance Corporation (IFC)
  • Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)
  • International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)

What are the different types of World Bank Group? ›

Its five institutions share a commitment to reducing poverty, increasing shared prosperity, and promoting sustainable development.
  • IBRD. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
  • IDA. The International Development Association.
  • IFC. The International Finance Corporation.
  • MIGA. ...
  • ICSID.

What are the classification of countries? ›

Country classifications

For analytical purposes, the WESP classifies all countries of the world into one of three broad categories: developed economies, economies in transition and developing economies.

What is the World Bank Group structure? ›

The World Bank is like a cooperative, made up of 189 member countries. These member countries, or shareholders, are represented by a Board of Governors, who are the ultimate policymakers at the World Bank. Generally, the governors are member countries' ministers of finance or ministers of development.

What is the difference between World Bank and World Bank groups? ›

The term "World Bank" generally refers to just the IBRD and IDA, whereas the term "World Bank Group" or "WBG" is used to refer to all five institutions collectively.

What nationalities are World Bank staff? ›

The most common ethnicity at World Bank is White (42%). 18% of World Bank employees are Asian. 17% of World Bank employees are Black or African American.

What countries are not part of the World Bank? ›

The five United Nations member states that are not members of the World Bank are Andorra, Cuba, Liechtenstein, Monaco, and North Korea.

Which of the three categories has the World Bank classified countries into? ›

The World Bank assigns the world's economies to four income groups—low, lower-middle, upper-middle, and high income.

What is World Bank Class 10? ›

The World Bank is an international financial institution that was established in 1944 at the Bretton Woods Conference. The following are some of the main objectives behind the setting up of the World Bank: (a) To facilitate the task of reconstruction of the war-affected European countries.

What is the largest global banking group? ›

With $5.5 trillion in assets, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Limited is the largest bank in the world, as measured by total assets.

What is economic classification of a country? ›

The World Bank classifies economies of countries as low income, middle income (subdivided into lower, middle, and upper middle), or high income. The main criterion for classifying economies is the gross national income (GNI) per capita.

How are countries classified on the basis of? ›

Countries have been organized by region, income level, and Human Development Index ranking. Regions: Geographic classification includes eight main regions: Africa, East Asia and Pacific, Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and Caribbean, Middle East and North Africa, Northern America and South Asia.

What classifies a 1st world country? ›

First world nations are those described as highly-developed industrialized, technologically-advanced, educated, and wealthy. In contrast to developing (second world) and less-developed (third world) countries, the first world is seen to enjoy many benefits such as a relatively high quality of life and prosperity.

Who owns most of the World Bank? ›

The organizations that make up the World Bank Group are owned by the governments of member nations, which have the ultimate decision-making power within the organizations on all matters, including policy, financial or membership issues.

What is the difference between the IMF and the World Bank? ›

The World Bank Group works with developing countries to reduce poverty and increase shared prosperity, while the International Monetary Fund serves to stabilize the international monetary system and acts as a monitor of the world's currencies.

Who funds the World Bank? ›

World Bank assistance is generally long-term and is funded by member country contributions and by issuing bonds.

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