Poverty and living standards in Oecusse, Timor-Leste: official figures
The Survey of Living Standards 2014 found that 62.5% of people in Oecusse lived below the national poverty line (figures are from 2014). It ranks as the highest of 13 districts, against 41.8% for Timor-Leste as a whole.
How deep is poverty in Oecusse?
The poverty gap in Oecusse was 19.8% in 2014: the average shortfall of consumption below the national poverty line across the whole population, counting people above the line as zero, as a share of the line. It ranks as the highest of 13 municipalities, against 10.4% for Timor-Leste as a whole.
Source: Ministry of Finance and General Directorate of Statistics of Timor-Leste (now INETL), with the World Bank · saved copyHow unequal is Oecusse?
The Gini coefficient of consumption inequality in Oecusse was 0.31 in the Survey of Living Standards 2014 (0 is perfect equality, 1 is complete inequality). It ranks as the joint highest of 13 municipalities, against 0.29 for Timor-Leste as a whole.
Source: Ministry of Finance and General Directorate of Statistics of Timor-Leste (now INETL), with the World Bank · saved copyHow common is domestic violence in Oecusse?
In the 2016 Demographic and Health Survey, 56.2% of ever-married women aged 15 to 49 in Oecusse said they had experienced physical or sexual violence from their current or most recent husband or partner. It ranks as the highest of 13 municipalities, against 38.1% for Timor-Leste as a whole.
Source: General Directorate of Statistics and Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste, with ICF (DHS Program) · saved copyHow Oecusse compares with other special administrative regions
People below the national poverty line (2014) (2014)
Oecusse ranks 1 of 13, highest first. Share of people living below the national poverty line in the Survey of Living Standards 2014; the most recent municipality-level poverty rates in the sources saved here.
| Rank | Region | People below the national poverty line (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oecusse | 62.5% |
| 2 | Ermera | 56.7% |
| 3 | Cova Lima | 53.1% |
| 4 | Bobonaro | 51.7% |
| 5 | Manufahi | 47.7% |
| 6 | Ainaro | 43.2% |
| 7 | Manatuto | 43.1% |
People in the poorest national wealth quintile (2016)
Oecusse ranks 1 of 13, highest first. Share of the population in households in the lowest of five national wealth quintiles (2016 Demographic and Health Survey).
| Rank | Region | People in the poorest national wealth quintile |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oecusse | 45.7% |
| 2 | Ainaro | 35.0% |
| 3 | Viqueque | 30.3% |
| 4 | Ermera | 30.0% |
| 5 | Cova Lima | 24.4% |
| 6 | Manufahi | 24.2% |
| 7 | Baucau | 20.0% |
More on Oecusse: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Timor-Leste
Sources
- General Directorate of Statistics and Ministry of Health of Timor-Leste, with ICF (DHS Program): Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016, Final Report (municipality tables), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5b18945332c9…)
- Ministry of Finance and General Directorate of Statistics of Timor-Leste (now INETL), with the World Bank: Poverty in Timor-Leste 2014 (Table 7: poverty indices and real per capita consumption by district, from the Timor-Leste Survey of Living Standards 2014), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 45e32bc95da5…)
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