Nigeria's Multidimensional Poverty Surges by 17.9 Million

According to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index report published by the United Nations Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, Nigeria recorded the world's largest increase in multidimensional poverty, with an additional 17.9 million Nigerians falling into poverty between 2021 and 2024. This marks a reversal from previous improvements noted between 2018 and 2021.

The report indicates that Nigeria accounted for the largest absolute increase in multidimensional poverty, surpassing Afghanistan, which saw an increase of 5.3 million poor individuals. The report highlights that Nigeria's multidimensional poverty rate rose from 33.0 percent in 2021 to 38.7 percent in 2024, with the number of affected individuals increasing from 72.21 million to 90.07 million.

The country's MPI value also rose from 0.175 to 0.208, indicating worsening deprivation. The 2024 national estimate suggests that 113.32 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, representing 48.7 percent of the population.