Gross national income per capita is US$520, about half the total for Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Americas [1]
78% of Haitians are poor (less than US$2 a day), and more than half (54%) live in extreme poverty (less than US$1 a day). [2]
In rural areas, poverty and extreme poverty rates are estimated to be 84% and 69% respectively. [3]
Over two-thirds of the labor force does not have formal jobs. [4]
Life expectancy is 61 years. [5]
Half of children under 5 are malnourished. [6]
Over 7% of children die at birth. [7]
For every 100,000 births, 523 women died in Haiti, compared to eight maternal deaths for every 100,000 births in Europe. [8]
80 out of 1,000 Haitian children never see their first birthday. [9]

Approximately 30% of children attending primary school will not make it to third grade; 60% will abandon school before sixth grade. [13]

Less than 40% of non-public schools are accredited. [14]
Only 15% of teachers at the primary level have basic teacher qualifications (including university degrees), and nearly 25% have never even attended secondary school. [15]
Approximately 75% of all teachers lack adequate training; many have just a 9th grade or 12th grade education, with no teacher training at all. [16]
Less than 20% of schools have electricity; 39% have potable water; 15% have a library. [17]

Public education represents less than 20% of enrollment, and less than 10% of schools, at the primary level. [18]
Estimated annual school costs average US $380 per child for accredited school (including uniform, books/materials and transportation) and US $131 for non [19]

47.9% of the population is unable to read or write, [20] as compared to only 12% illiteracy in the rest of Latin America. [21]