Nigeria recorded the world’s largest increase in multidimensional poverty between 2021 and 2024, with an additional 17.9 million people falling into deprivation, according to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI).
The report, published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), revealed a reversal of Nigeria’s earlier progress in poverty reduction, which was recorded between 2018 and 2021.
Nigeria’s increase was significantly higher than Afghanistan’s, which recorded an additional 5.3 million multidimensionally poor people during its latest assessment period, reports The PUNCH.
The report stated: “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, followed by 5.3 million in Afghanistan.”
The findings placed Nigeria at the top of the list of countries with the largest absolute deterioration in multidimensional poverty among those with comparable data, raising fresh concerns about the country’s worsening living conditions and setbacks in poverty reduction.
The report identified Nigeria as one of five countries that recorded increases in multidimensional poverty during their respective assessment periods. The others were Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Guinea and Kyrgyzstan.
It stated: “In contrast, five countries reported increases in multidimensional poverty. These are Afghanistan (2015/16–2022/23), Central African Republic (2010–2018/19), Guinea (2016–2018), Kyrgyzstan (2018–2023) and Nigeria (2021–2024).”
Poverty rate rises to 38.7%
Further analysis of harmonised poverty trends showed that Nigeria’s multidimensional poverty rate increased from 33 per cent in 2021 to 38.7 per cent in 2024, representing a rise of 5.7 percentage points.
The number of affected Nigerians also increased from 72.21 million to 90.07 million during the period, while the country’s Multidimensional Poverty Index value rose from 0.175 to 0.208, indicating worsening deprivation.
However, the report’s separate national estimate for 2024 put the number of multidimensionally poor Nigerians at 113.32 million, representing 48.7 per cent of the population.
The national estimate uses the latest survey without the adjustments applied to the harmonised historical comparison, accounting for the difference between the two sets of figures.
The report also found that 28.7 per cent of Nigerians experienced severe multidimensional poverty, while another 18.1 per cent were vulnerable to falling into multidimensional poverty.
It explained: “In Nigeria, poverty incidence declined from 2018–2021, then increased from 2021–2024.”
Beyond income deprivation
Unlike conventional monetary poverty measurements, which focus primarily on income or consumption, the Multidimensional Poverty Index assesses overlapping disadvantages in health, education and living standards.
Its indicators include nutrition, child mortality, years of schooling, school attendance, electricity, drinking water, sanitation, housing and access to basic household necessities.
An individual is classified as multidimensionally poor when their household experiences deprivation amounting to at least one-third of the weighted indicators used in the index.
Northern states face heavier burden
At the subnational level, Kebbi, Yobe and Sokoto were among the states with the highest multidimensional poverty burdens, while Lagos recorded the lowest MPI value.
The report highlighted differences in the factors driving poverty in northern communities, noting that similar overall poverty levels could conceal different underlying challenges.
“Compare, for example, the poorest subnational regions of Nigeria: Yobe and Sokoto, which have similar MPI values. Deprivations in nutrition and child mortality contribute more to poverty in Yobe, while in Sokoto, deprivations in water and electricity are stronger contributors,” it stated.
The report stressed that identifying these differences was essential for developing targeted interventions that address the specific needs of affected communities.
1.2 billion people poor globally
Globally, the 2026 report estimated that 1.2 billion people, representing 18.9 per cent of the population covered by the index, lived in acute multidimensional poverty.
Of this number, 534 million experienced severe poverty, while another 952 million people were classified as vulnerable to multidimensional poverty.
Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for the largest concentration of multidimensionally poor people, with 616 million, representing more than half of the global total.
Children accounted for a disproportionate share of the burden, with 617 million people below the age of 18 living in multidimensional poverty.
The report stated: “Roughly one in every three children is multidimensionally poor, compared to one in seven adults.”
The findings underscore the challenge facing Nigeria in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of reducing poverty in all its forms and dimensions by at least half by 2030.
Utomi warns over worsening hardship
Meanwhile, Professor of Political Economy Pat Utomi has warned that rising poverty, hunger, insecurity and declining public confidence in government institutions are pushing Nigerians to the brink.
Utomi also urged citizens to resist the erosion of democratic values ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He described the level of hardship in the country as alarming, noting that millions of Nigerians were grappling with food insecurity and struggling to meet their basic needs.
The political economist further warned that widening inequality between wealthy politicians and impoverished citizens could undermine national stability.
