Historical chart and dataset showing Nigeria poverty rate by year from 1985 to 2018.

In 2023, nearly ** percent of the world population in extreme poverty lived in Nigeria, considering the poverty threshold at **** U.S. dollars a day. Within the studied timeframe, the share mainly rose. Overall, the number of people living in extreme poverty in Africa was estimated to reach *** million in 2025.

Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population) in Nigeria was reported at 40.1 % in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty line (% of population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

In 2022, an estimated population of **** million people in Nigeria lived in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars a day. This stood as an increase from the previous year, when around **** million people lived in the said state of poverty. The headcount was expected to maintain the rising trend through to 2027.

The Nigerian states of Sokoto and Taraba had the largest percentage of people living below the poverty line as of 2019. The lowest poverty rates were recorded in the South and South-Western states. In Lagos, this figure equaled 4.5 percent, the lowest rate in Nigeria.

A large population in poverty

In Nigeria, an individual is considered poor when they have an availability of less than 137.4 thousand Nigerian Naira (roughly 334 U.S. dollars) per year. Similarly, a person having under 87.8 thousand Naira (about 213 U.S. dollars) in a year available for food was living below the poverty line according to Nigerian national standards. In total, 40.1 percent of the population in Nigeria lived in poverty.

Food insecurity on the rise

On average, 21.4 percent of the population in Nigeria experienced hunger between 2018 and 2020. People in severe food insecurity would go for entire days without food due to lack of money or other resources. Over the last years, the prevalence with severe food among Nigerians has been increasing, as the demand for food is rising together with a fast-growing population.

This dataset involves poverty rate in Nigeria from Year 1985-2018, Percentage under US $5.50 per day (%) and the changes per year, Source: World Bank

Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 46.000 % in 2009. This records a decrease from the previous number of 48.400 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 47.200 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2009, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 48.400 % in 2003 and a record low of 46.000 % in 2009. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty lines. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

In 2022, an estimated population of 88.4 million people in Nigeria lived in extreme poverty. The number of men living on less than 1.90 U.S. dollars a day in the country reached around 44.7 million, while the count was at 43.7 million for women. Overall, 12.9 percent of the global population in extreme poverty were found in Nigeria as of 2022.

This dataset focuses on the social protection policy responses to poverty in Nigeria. It provides comprehensive information on various aspects of living conditions, demographics, and socio-economic factors of 204 respondents from the Bwari, Kuje, and Gwagwalada Area Councils in Abuja, Nigeria. The data was collected and analysed using SPSS, and descriptive statistics were used to explore the variables of interest. The dataset has been extrapolated to Excel for easy accessibility. The dataset includes descriptive results on several key aspects. It covers the education level of the respondents, the distribution of household heads among them, the types of dwellings they live in, the health conditions within their households, access to medical care, accommodation types, and waste distribution. The dataset also provides key variables of insights into the poverty levels and perceptions among the respondents. The "MPI" (Multidimensional Poverty Index) measures multidimensional poverty, while "povertylevel" indicates the poverty level of the respondents. In addition to the key variables, the dataset includes additional rows that highlight different combinations of variables related to living conditions. These combinations include dwelling types, sources of tap water, sanitation facilities, lighting sources, access to radio, television, and telephone, as well as information regarding meal skipping, healthcare access, and employment status. The dataset also includes socio-demographic characteristics that were considered in the study. These characteristics include sex, age, education level, employment income, household head, type of dwelling, waste distribution, and source of energy.

Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data was reported at 52.800 % in 2009. This records a decrease from the previous number of 56.600 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 54.700 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2009, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.600 % in 2003 and a record low of 52.800 % in 2009. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % of Rural Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank: Poverty. Rural poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the rural population living below the national poverty lines.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $2.15 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 30.900 % in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 32.300 % for 2015. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $2.15 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 41.350 % from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2018, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 58.400 % in 1996 and a record low of 30.900 % in 2018. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $2.15 a Day: 2017 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. Poverty headcount ratio at $2.15 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $2.15 a day at 2017 purchasing power adjusted prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.;World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are mostly from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see http://pip.worldbank.org.;;The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than 2000 household surveys across 169 countries. See the Poverty and Inequality Platform (PIP) for details (www.pip.worldbank.org).

In 2025, nearly 11.7 percent of the world population in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars a day, lived in Nigeria. Moreover, the Democratic Republic of the Congo accounted for around 11.7 percent of the global population in extreme poverty. Other African nations with a large poor population were Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar. Poverty levels remain high despite the forecast decline Poverty is a widespread issue across Africa. Around 429 million people on the continent were living below the extreme poverty line of 2.15 U.S. dollars a day in 2024. Since the continent had approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants, roughly a third of Africa’s population was in extreme poverty that year. Mozambique, Malawi, Central African Republic, and Niger had Africa’s highest extreme poverty rates based on the 2.15 U.S. dollars per day extreme poverty indicator (updated from 1.90 U.S. dollars in September 2022). Although the levels of poverty on the continent are forecast to decrease in the coming years, Africa will remain the poorest region compared to the rest of the world. Prevalence of poverty and malnutrition across Africa Multiple factors are linked to increased poverty. Regions with critical situations of employment, education, health, nutrition, war, and conflict usually have larger poor populations. Consequently, poverty tends to be more prevalent in least-developed and developing countries worldwide. For similar reasons, rural households also face higher poverty levels. In 2024, the extreme poverty rate in Africa stood at around 45 percent among the rural population, compared to seven percent in urban areas. Together with poverty, malnutrition is also widespread in Africa. Limited access to food leads to low health conditions, increasing the poverty risk. At the same time, poverty can determine inadequate nutrition. Almost 38.3 percent of the global undernourished population lived in Africa in 2022.

Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 77.600 % in 2009. This records a decrease from the previous number of 79.900 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 78.500 % from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2009, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 82.000 % in 1996 and a record low of 77.100 % in 1992. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $3.20 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank: Poverty. Poverty headcount ratio at $3.20 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.20 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. The aggregated numbers for low- and middle-income countries correspond to the totals of 6 regions in PovcalNet, which include low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia). See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data was reported at 92.100 % in 2009. This records a decrease from the previous number of 94.100 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 92.800 % from Dec 1985 (Median) to 2009, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 94.100 % in 2003 and a record low of 92.100 % in 2009. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at $5.50 a Day: 2011 PPP: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.; ; World Bank, Development Research Group. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income economies are from the Luxembourg Income Study database. For more information and methodology, please see PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/index.htm).; ; The World Bank’s internationally comparable poverty monitoring database now draws on income or detailed consumption data from more than one thousand six hundred household surveys across 164 countries in six regions and 25 other high income countries (industrialized economies). While income distribution data are published for all countries with data available, poverty data are published for low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia) only. The aggregated numbers for low- and middle-income countries correspond to the totals of 6 regions in PovcalNet, which include low- and middle-income countries and countries eligible to receive loans from the World Bank (such as Chile) and recently graduated countries (such as Estonia). See PovcalNet (http://iresearch.worldbank.org/PovcalNet/WhatIsNew.aspx) for definitions of geographical regions and industrialized countries.

As of 2019, the population mostly affected by poverty in Nigeria was those working exclusively in the agricultural sector. Households with a male household head were much more impacted than those with a female head. For instance, about 58 percent of people belonging to households with a male head working in the agriculture was living below the poverty line. According to national standards, an individual with less than 137.4 thousand Nigerian Naira (roughly 361 U.S. dollars) per year is considered poor. Nationwide, 40.1 percent of population lived in poverty.

Nigeria: Poverty, percent of population: The latest value from 2018 is 40.1 percent, unavailable from percent in . In comparison, the world average is 23.59 percent, based on data from 66 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 2018 to 2018 is 40.1 percent. The minimum value, 40.1 percent, was reached in 2018 while the maximum of 40.1 percent was recorded in 2018.

In 2022, an estimated population of 74 million people in Nigeria lived in extreme poverty, the majority in rural areas. The count of people living on less than 2.15 U.S. dollars a day in rural regions reached 65.7 million, while around 8.3 million extremely poor people were located in urban areas. Overall, throughout the period examined, the poverty incidence remained above 50 million in rural communities.

As of 2019, the population mostly affected by poverty in Nigeria was those with no education or less than primary education. Households with a male household head were much more impacted. For instance, over 60 percent of people belonging to households with a male head with no education or elementary education was living below the poverty line. According to national standards, an individual with less than 137.4 thousand Nigerian Naira (roughly 361 U.S. dollars) per year is considered poor. Nationwide, 40.1 percent of population lived in poverty.

Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % of Urban Population data was reported at 34.100 % in 2009. This records a decrease from the previous number of 37.900 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 36.000 % from Dec 2003 (Median) to 2009, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 37.900 % in 2003 and a record low of 34.100 % in 2009. Nigeria NG: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Poverty. Urban poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the urban population living below the national poverty lines.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

As of 2019, an individual living in Nigeria with less than 137.4 thousand Nigerian Naira (roughly 361 U.S. dollars) per year was considered poor. Similarly, a person having under 87.8 thousand Naira (about 215 U.S. dollars) in a year available for food was living below the poverty line according to Nigerian national standards.