Number of people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria
Nigeria: Number of people living in extreme poverty was 131.78 million people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
131.78 million people
World rank
9th
of 120 countries
All-time high
137.11 million people
in 2018
All-time low
41.84 million people
in 1985
Years of data
9
1985–2022
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria, 1985–2022
Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 131.78 million people for number of people living in extreme poverty in 2022.
The figure is up 17.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria peaked at 137.11 million people in 2018 and was at its lowest, 41.84 million people, in 1985.
That places Nigeria 9th out of 120 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
Number of people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 41.84 million people | — |
| 1992 | 45.90 million people | +9.7% |
| 1996 | 44.76 million people | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 68.36 million people | +52.7% |
| 2010 | 103.97 million people | +52.1% |
| 2012 | 111.74 million people | +7.5% |
| 2015 | 124.01 million people | +11.0% |
| 2018 | 137.11 million people | +10.6% |
| 2022 | 131.78 million people | -3.9% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 131.78 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.39 million people, 9.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 131.78 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.66 million people, 12.4× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 41.84 million people | 41.84 million people | 41.84 million people | 1 |
| 1990s | 45.33 million people | 44.76 million people | 45.90 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 68.36 million people | 68.36 million people | 68.36 million people | 1 |
| 2010s | 119.21 million people | 103.97 million people | 137.11 million people | 4 |
| 2020s | 131.78 million people | 131.78 million people | 131.78 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More poverty & inequality data for Nigeria
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 2 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 4.48 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,558 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 0.607 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 7.17 (2007)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 7.2% (2007)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2007)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria?
- Number of people living in extreme poverty in Nigeria was 131.78 million people in 2022, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 137.11 million people in 2018.
- What is the lowest number of people living in extreme poverty recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.84 million people in 1985.
- How does Nigeria rank for number of people living in extreme poverty?
- Nigeria ranks 9th out of 120 countries with data for 2022.
- Is number of people living in extreme poverty rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of people living in households with an income or consumption above $3 per day.