Line graph showing percentage of people living on less than one dollar a day. The graph shows that the percentages for the world 's regions have remained fairly consistent from 1981 to 2001, with the exception of East Asia and South Asia. The graph shows that the Middle East and North Africa and Eastern Europe and Central Asia have relatively low percentages of people living on less than one dollar a day. Both regions average below 10 percent. Latin America averaged about 10 percent over the period of 20 years. The world average was about 40 percent in 1981 and leveled off to about 20 percent in 2001. Sub-Saharan Africa averaged about 40 to 45 percent over the period. East Asia began with about 60 percent living in poverty in 1981 and plummeted to about 15 percent living in poverty in 2001. South Asia began at about 52 percent in 1981 and dropped to about 30 percent in 2001. Based on the data above, which region of the world struggled the most economically in the last two decades of the twentieth century? East Asia Eastern Europe and Central Asia Middle East and North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa