Algeria

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Congo, Dem. Rep.

Cote d'Ivoire

Egypt

Ethiopia

Ghana

Kenya

Liberia

Malawi

Nigeria

Rwanda

Somalia

South Africa

Tanzania

Togo

Tunisia

Zimbabwe

Africa

Afghanistan

Bangladesh

Cambodia

China

India

Indonesia

Iran

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Lebanon

Mongolia

Myanmar

Nepal

Pakistan

Palestine

Papua New Guinea

Philippines

South Korea

Sri Lanka

Thailand

Vietnam

Asia

Albania

Austria

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Czech Republic

France

Italy

Latvia

Lithuania

Malta

Netherlands

Romania

Russia

Serbia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Europe

Argentina

Bermuda

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Colombia

Costa Rica

Guatemala

Haiti

Mexico

Peru

United States

The Americas

Families all over the World are more similar than we might think. The poorest still get many children, but most families have about two children. Sometimes families take care of their elderly relatives as well as their children.

Alcoholic drinks

Arm watches

Armchair

Backyard

Bathroom Privacy

The poorest families, particularly in rural areas, practice open defecation or use shallow pit latrines. Families with a higher income, especially in cities, have more access to improved sanitation facilities. Many middle income homes use ventilated outhouses with deep pits, protecting food and water sources from contamination. The richest families use integrated squat or seating toilets with a flush or septic tank to safely separate human excreta from human contact.

Bathroom/Toilet

Bedroom

Materials, positioning and style of beds change across income levels. The poorest make do with natural fibres and unclean surfaces, while homes with more money sleep on raised platforms with purpose-made bedding for comfort. The richest homes often have more or less the same style mattresses, duvets and pillows, suggesting that there is globalized version of a comfortable night’s sleep.

Bike

Boat

Families living on a very low income sometimes have poor literacy skills and often do not keep many books. Middle income families often have a big collection of children’s picture books and textbooks, which boosts children’s literacy rates. The richest families often borrow books from the library or buy novels to read for pleasure and so have a whole shelving unit allocated for books.

Books

Bowls

Car keys

Ceiling

Chickens

Children room

Cleaning equipment

Cleaning floors

The poorest homes cannot afford computers or internet connections. Those with a higher income often have an affordable laptop or desktop connected to the internet through a cable. They might also use a smartphone connected to 3G data.  The richest homes often have high-tech computers complete with printing equipment and broadband internet.

Computer

Cooking pots

The cooking utensils a family has depends on economic level more than geographic region. The poorest families usually have one or two wooden spoons, metal serving spoons or sharp knives. Wealthier families have more materials to choose from, like colourful and heatproof plastics and stainless steel. The richest families have purpose made containers to display and organise their stash of various cooking utensils.

Cooking utensils

Cups are functional and hold liquids that we drink, but also have a social use. The poorest around the world have just a small selection for drinking both hot and cold drinks. Those with a bit more money have special ceramic cups for hot and glass or metal cups for cold drinks. The richest families have diverse shapes, colours and materials on display in their kitchen cupboards or shelves.

Cups/mugs/glasses

Cutlery

Diapers (or baby-pants)

Dinner guests

The poorest families use rags made out of natural fibres or sometimes grit to wash plates. They do not tend to have manufactured materials or washing liquid. Those with more money use scrubbing brushes made of metal or plastic. The richest families use specially designed and colourful instruments to scrub plates clean. They have purpose made sinks or dishwasher machines.

Dish washing brush/cloth

The poorest homes dry their small selection of metal or plastic dishes in a bowl or on the floor. Homes with a high income have a larger selection made out of different materials and leave dishes to dry in a purpose made drying space with bars allowing water to drain through. The richest homes sometimes have dishwashers.

Dish racks

Dish washing soap

Dishwasher

Drinking water

Drying

Earings

Everyday shoes

Family

Family snapshots

Favorite home decorations

Those with the lowest income, especially in rural areas, make do with dirt or sand flooring which is hard to keep clean. Those with a higher income tend to have a tiled or plastic lino floor that is cheap to install and easy to maintain. The richest homes invest in ceramic or stone tiles and wooden floorboards to suit their preference.

Floor

Freezer

Front door

Frontdoor keys

Fruit trees

Fruit consumption is important to prevent chronic disease. Low income families can afford to eat only locally grown fruit when in season. Those with more money can also choose their preferred fruit from markets and shops. The richest can eat fruit imported from all over the world and store it in special fruit bowls or in their fridge.

Fruits and vegetables

Families living in rural poor communities often have to walk to water sources, and might lack clean drinking water. Middle income families tend to have improved water sources from taps which they might share with other families. They also tend to have a septic tank or filtering mechanism ensuring the water is clean. The richest homes have taps with reliable drinking water integrated into kitchens and bathrooms.

Get water

Glasses or lenses

Goats

Grains

Guest bed

Hair brush/comb

Hallway

Hand washing after using the toilet is important for every family’s health. To do this, the poorest families collect water from wells or communal taps in plastic buckets or metal pots. Those with more money install an outdoor tap which can be used for hand washing. The richest have sinks with hot and cold taps installed inside their home which is easily accessible from the toilet.

Hand washing

Hand back

Homes

Instrument

coats and jackets

Jewelry can be a life-saving insurance policy because it can be quickly exchanged for cash in a medical emergency. The poorest cannot afford any jewelry of value. For those with a higher income, jewelry is made from different materials like glass beads, gold and silver and is worn for pleasure. The richest often have jewelry boxes in their homes where they store many colorful necklaces, rings and earrings.

Jewelry

Bed kids

Kitchen sink

Kitchen

Latest furniture bought

At night, the poorest homes have no light or any reliable light source, restricting how productive the family can be. Low to middle income homes use bare light bulbs to illuminate the home. The richest have diverse and personalised lighting in each room of their home, with sophisticated light dimmers and light shades.

Light sources

Light source in livingroom

Light source in kitchen

Lightsources by bed, reading light

Living room

The poorest families do not have locks and tend to make do with flimsy fibers to tie their doors shut. Middle income families often use cheap but effective padlocks on door frames to secure their homes. Finally, the richest use sophisticated integrated locks.

Lock on front door

Make up

For the poorest, meat is a rare luxury and is consumed once every two to three months. Those with a higher income eat meat more regularly and keep it in fridges and freezers at home. They have also access to meat in food markets and shops. The richest families usually buy meat packaged and processed by food manufacturers.

Meat or fish

The variety and quality of medication that a family has available is dependent on income and the family’s local healthcare system. For the poorest, medication is devastatingly expensive so they have just a small supply. Those with a higher income have a variety, but the amount they can afford is dependent on state subsidies. The richest families keep many painkillers, preventative medicines and vitamin pills in cupboards or on shelves.

Medication

Menstruation pads / tampax

Mosquito protection

Most loved item

Playing is important for early childhood development. The poorest families are not able to buy manufactured toys. Instead, children play with discarded objects in and outside the home. Wealthier families all over the world buy and make toys for their children, like footballs, wooden animals and teddy bears. The richest children also play with high-tech electronic games.

Most loved toy

Moped/motorcycle

Music Equipment

Necklaces

Next big thing you are planning to buy

For the poorest, walking is the main mode of transport. Shoes are important to protect feet from diseases like hookworm and to help children get to school. Unfortunately, the poorest can seldom afford good shoes. With a little more money, the nicest shoes are often practical and good for long-distance walking. For the richer households, nicest shoes can be fashion accessories. Some have bright colors and high heels, not for long walks, but for leisure time.

Nicest shoes

Oven

Hand palm

The use of paper changes according to income levels. Those with the lowest income might not read and write regularly, but often have a small amount of paper at home for children’s school work. Those with a higher income sometimes have ring bound notebooks or diaries to keep notes and dates in. The richest families also keep packs of white paper in their home for printing.

Paper

Parking lot

Not all low income families have pens at home, since they might not read and write regularly. Middle income families are usually highly literate, and mostly have some biro pens, colorful ballpoints or pencils kept inside a pencil case or pot because they are easy and cheap to buy. The richest families can buy all types of mass-manufactured pens and so usually have a large collection at home.

Pen/pencils

Pet foods

Most families in the World are connected by mobile phones, but phone functions vary according to income group. For the poorest families, mobile phones are usually for sending SMS messages. Middle income families sometimes have touch screen smartphones for sending images, videos and can be connected to internet services like online banking. In the richest households, the family members often have a phone each. Many of the richest homes use both smartphones and land lines.

Phone

Place where eating dinner

Place where serving guests

Plates

The poorest survive on just one or two staple ingredients and availability varies according to season. They spend most of their income on food. Those with more money can eat food according to preference, nutritious value and taste, making meals using all food groups like dairy products, fruits and vegetables. The richest families can eat food imported from all over the world.

Plate of food

A safe place to play is important for children’s development. The poorest often do not have a safe outside space, making do with sometimes unsafe streets or fields. Families with more money allocate space for children to play like a playground with swings or an indoor space with toys. The richest families often have access to purpose-made climbing frames and sports fields nearby.

Play area

While many rural poor homes do not have electricity, many urban poor have unreliable access and power their homes using extension leads. Middle to high income families have integrated power outlets, although sometimes with loose wiring. The richest homes have safe and modern power outlets with wiring concealed in the walls.

Power outlet

Electricity that can be controlled by switch is convenient and safe for families. The poorest make do with lighting kerosene lamps for light or making a fire for heat. Those with a higher income have loose power fittings without switches, risking dangerous electric shocks. The richest families have light and power switches incorporated into the walls of their home.

Switch on/off

Radio

Refrigerator

All families need a roof over their head, but the materials available to the family depend on the economic level they live at. The poorest families use natural materials or cheap metal that struggles to withstand devastating weather, but can be packed up or replaced easily. The richest homes have sophisticated and durable roofs that are constructed by professional engineers.

Roof

Photographers

Zoriah Miller