Nigeria recorded the world’s largest increase in multidimensional poverty between 2021 and 2024, with an additional 17.9 million citizens falling into poverty, according to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
The report, published on Monday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), highlighted a sharp reversal in Nigeria’s poverty reduction efforts after initial gains recorded between 2018 and 2021.
The findings placed Nigeria ahead of Afghanistan, which recorded the second-highest increase, with 5.3 million additional people falling into poverty during its assessment period.
“In absolute terms, the largest increase in the number of poor people is seen in Nigeria, where although poverty had decreased in the previous period (2018–2021), in the recent period (2021–2024), 17.9 million people became multidimensionally poor,” the report stated.
Nigeria was listed among only five countries globally that experienced a net deterioration in multidimensional poverty during their respective survey periods, alongside Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Guinea, and Kyrgyzstan.
Sharp Increase in Deprivation Statistics
Unlike monetary poverty measures that assess only income or consumption, the Multidimensional Poverty Index evaluates overlapping disadvantages affecting households across health, education, and living standards—including access to drinking water, sanitation, electricity, housing, and nutrition.
Key statistical findings from the report show:
Harmonized Poverty Jump: Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty rate rose from 33.0% in 2021 to 38.7% in 2024—a 5.7 percentage point increase.
Affected Population: The number of multidimensionally poor Nigerians increased from 72.21 million to 90.07 million under harmonized trend metrics.
National Unadjusted Estimate: Separate unadjusted 2024 survey data estimated that 113.32 million Nigerians (48.7% of the population) live in multidimensional poverty, with 28.7% suffering severe poverty and 18.1% classified as vulnerable.
Regional Disparities and Expert Warnings
The report highlighted significant regional variations across Nigeria. Kebbi, Yobe, and Sokoto recorded the highest multidimensional poverty burdens, while Lagos posted the lowest MPI score.
“Deprivations in nutrition and child mortality contribute more to poverty in Yobe, while in Sokoto, deprivations in water and electricity are stronger contributors,” the report noted, emphasizing the need for localized policy interventions.
Commenting on the nation’s economic situation, political economist Prof. Pat Utomi warned that rising poverty, food insecurity, and widening inequality pose severe risks to social stability.
”Hardship in the country has become alarming, with millions of Nigerians facing food insecurity and struggling to meet basic needs,” Utomi warned, noting that growing gaps between public officials and impoverished citizens threaten national cohesion.
Globally, the MPI report estimated that 1.2 billion people live in acute multidimensional poverty, with Sub-Saharan Africa accounting for the largest concentration at 616 million people.
