Nigeria Drops 12 Places in Global Finance World’s Poorest Countries Ranking
Edino Chubiyo Cornelius 
ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria has fallen 12 places in the 2026 Global Finance ranking of the world’s poorest countries by GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP), highlighting the country’s declining relative economic standing despite remaining outside the global bottom 10.
According to the latest ranking published by Global Finance magazine, Nigeria is ranked 56th among the world’s 60 poorest countries, compared with 44th position in 2025.
The ranking measures GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP), an economic indicator that adjusts income levels to reflect differences in living costs and inflation across countries.
Burundi emerged as the world’s poorest country with a GDP per capita of $994.23, followed by the Central African Republic at $1,437.72 and South Sudan at $1,467.19.
Nine of the 10 poorest countries are in Africa, with Yemen the only non-African country in the bottom 10.
The lowest-ranked countries include Burundi, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Yemen, Mozambique, Malawi, Somalia, Liberia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Nigeria recorded a GDP per capita (PPP) of $9,532.92, placing it just ahead of Angola and Laos, which occupied the 59th and 60th positions respectively.
Several African countries also featured prominently in the rankings, including Niger (11th), Sudan (13th), Burkina Faso (16th), Chad (18th), Mali (20th), Uganda (26th), Ethiopia (32nd), Senegal (37th), Cameroon (38th), Kenya (44th), Ghana (51st) and Mauritania (52nd).
The report also highlighted changes from the previous year’s rankings.
Burundi moved from second to first position, replacing South Sudan, which slipped to third, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo dropped from seventh to 10th.
Nigeria recorded one of the biggest movements, falling 12 places from 44th in 2025 to 56th in the latest ranking.
Outside Africa, countries listed among the world’s 60 poorest economies include Afghanistan, Haiti, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Papua New Guinea, Honduras and Laos.
The latest rankings underscore the persistent economic challenges confronting many African economies, where low-income levels, weak industrial output, conflict, inflation and structural constraints continue to weigh on living standards.
About the Author
Korede Abdullah 
Abah Felicity 
Oluwafunbi Bello