From Costa Rica to the US: Take a look at the countries where the highest share of children are growing up poor

Child poverty varies widely across OECD countries. In 2023, the share of children living below the poverty line ranged from 4.6% in Finland to 29.6% in Costa Rica, Visual Capitalist reported, citing OECD data.

The data covers children aged 0–17 and uses a relative poverty line, set at half the median household income of the total population. This means the figures show how children are doing compared with the income levels in their own country.

Costa Rica had the highest child poverty rate at 29.6%, followed by Israel at 23.2%. Spain and the US were next, with rates of 21.5% and 21.1%, respectively.

• Costa Rica: 29.6%
• Israel: 23.2%
• Spain: 21.5%
• United States: 21.1%
• Bulgaria: 19.1%
• Romania: 17.7%
• UK: 15.8%
• Italy: 14.5%
• Canada: 14.0%
• Luxembourg: 13.5%
• Lithuania: 12.8%
• Slovakia: 12.8%
• Portugal: 12.5%
• Croatia: 12.3%
• Greece: 12.3%
• France: 12.0%
• Hungary: 11.3%
• Latvia: 10.0%
• Austria: 9.8%
• Germany: 9.1%

High living costs and a large informal labour market are among the factors that can leave households with children particularly vulnerable to poverty in Costa Rica.

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Israel's child poverty rate is also high

Israel had the second-highest rate at 23.2%. According to the OECD, child poverty in the country is highly concentrated among two groups: Ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) Jews and Israeli Arabs.

Both groups have child poverty rates of nearly 50%.

One in five US children live in poverty

The US recorded a child poverty rate of 21.1%, making it the fourth-highest in the ranking.

This means roughly one in five US children lived in households with incomes below half the national median in 2023.

The figure also shows that a country's overall wealth does not always mean that children are equally well-off. Poverty can vary widely within the US too, with large differences between states.

Finland has the lowest child poverty rate

Finland had the lowest child poverty rate among the countries covered, at 4.6%.

It was followed by Slovenia at 6.2%, Ireland at 6.8% and Norway at 6.9%.

Costa Rica's rate was more than six times higher than Finland's. Four countries had child poverty rates above 20%, while 10 countries had rates below 9%.

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The OECD measure is based on each country's median income. So, the figures show how children fare within their own country's income distribution. They do not directly compare the actual income or living standards of poor households across different countries.

The data comes from the OECD Income Distribution Database and covers 2023, the latest available data as of August 2026. It includes OECD member countries as well as Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania, which are currently in the accession process.