An estimated 113 million Nigerians are living in multidimensional poverty, facing overlapping disadvantages in health, education and living standards, according to a 2026 report by the UN Development Programme and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative.
The report found that 28.7 per cent of Nigerians experience severe poverty, with deprivation particularly widespread in rural communities and northern parts of the country. Nearly 69 per cent of rural residents were classified as poor, compared with about 25 per cent in urban areas.
Limited access to clean cooking fuel and electricity remains a major driver of deprivation, affecting millions of Nigerians.
Despite the global increase, the report found that 33 countries had halved their multidimensional poverty rates over the past 15 years, including six in sub-Saharan Africa. It cautioned that population growth contributed to the rise in the number of people affected, while comparable new data were available for only 13 of the 108 developing countries covered.
