On Tuesday, August 25, 2026 the International Monetary Fund, IMF released a list of the world poorest countries.
According to the list by the world financial body, the list is made up of the world sixty poorest countries.
The list showed the ranking according to GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP), which adjusts economic output for differences in the cost of goods and services between countries.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that the figures are arranged below from poorest to less poor, based on projected GDP-PPP per capita.
Nigeria, with a projected figure of $9,994, ranks 59th from the bottom among the 202 economies in the dataset
Nigeria has been ranked among the world’s 60 poorest countries by GDP per capita at purchasing power parity, according to a 2026 ranking by Global Finance magazine, with African nations accounting for the overwhelming majority of countries at the bottom of the list.
Nigeria was placed 56th on the list, with a GDP per capita of $9,532.92. This is a sharp fall from its 44th position in the 2025 ranking.
According to the report, the country’s slide down the rankings shows a broader pattern, as the report showed nine of the 10 lowest-ranked countries are in Africa, with Yemen the only non-African nation among them.
However, with Burundi at the top as the poorest country in the world, recording the lowest GDP per capita at $994.23 the Central African Republic followed with $1,437.72, while South Sudan came third with $1,467.19.
In any case, summarizing the bottom 10 were Mozambique, Malawi, Somalia, Liberia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
By and large, the rankings, calculated mainly by using GDP per capita at purchasing power parity, adjust for differences in cost of living and inflation between countries, showed a clearer picture of relative economic wellbeing than raw GDP figures.
Analysis of the report also showed that apart from the bottom 10, several other African countries featured prominently across the lower half of the ranking.
Niger grabbed the 11th position with $2,108.46, followed by Sudan at 13th with $2,427.43 and Burkina Faso at 16th with $3,060.34.
Lesotho was seen at the 17th spot with $3,211.83, as Chad and Guinea-Bissau followed each other closely at 18th and 19th, with $3,284.18 and $3,304.84 respectively.
Mali with $3,480.41 GDP took 20th ahead of Togo in 21st with $3,563.31, The Gambia is in 22nd with $3,664.60 and Sierra Leone in 23rd with $3,709.84. Uganda placed 26th with $3,923.83, followed by Vanuatu, Comoros, Rwanda and Tanzania in the 27th to 30th positions.
Moving up the table, Zambia took 31st place with $4,380.77, followed by Ethiopia in 32nd with $4,498.55, Guinea in 33rd with $4,746.77 and Benin in 34th with $4,758.22. Senegal ranked 37th with $5,440.63, while Cameroon followed in 38th with $5,782.69.
Kenya placed 44th with $7,590.60, and Zimbabwe came in at 46th with $7,985.23. Côte d’Ivoire ranked 48th with $8,165.34, while Ghana, Mauritania and Djibouti took the 51st, 52nd and 55th positions with $8,613.25, $8,831.81 and $9,435.70 respectively.
At the higher end of the 60-country list, Angola placed 59th with $10,274.90, just ahead of Laos in 60th with $10,379.98.
Outside Africa, other countries featured in the ranking included Afghanistan, Solomon Islands, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Tajikistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Honduras, Tonga, Cambodia, Samoa, Venezuela, the Kyrgyz Republic, Nicaragua and Bangladesh.
Compared with the 2025 ranking, the latest figures reflect significant shifts in position. Burundi climbed from second to first place, while South Sudan dropped from first to third. The Democratic Republic of the Congo slipped from seventh to 10th, and Nigeria fell 12 places, from 44th to 56th.
Below is the full list;
Burundi — $994.23; Central African Republic — $1,437.72; South Sudan — $1,467.19; Yemen — $1,590.19; Mozambique — $1,688.91; Malawi — $1,758.03; Somalia — $1,905.21; Liberia — $1,979.42; Madagascar — $2,030.36; Democratic Republic of the Congo — $2,032.68; Niger — $2,108.46
and Afghanistan at $2,304.07.
Others are Sudan — $2,427.43; Solomon Islands — $2,595.87; Haiti — $2,999.44; Burkina Faso — $3,060.34; Lesotho — $3,211.83; Chad — $3,284.18; Guinea-Bissau — $3,304.84; Mali — $3,480.41;Togo — $3,563.31;The Gambia — $3,664.60; Sierra Leone — $3,709.84; Kiribati — $3,755.66; Papua New Guinea — $3,813.37; Uganda — $3,923.83; Vanuatu — $3,938.10; Comoros — $4,031.17; Rwanda — $4,190.43; Tanzania — $4,354.57; Zambia — $4,380.77 and Ethiopia — $4,498.55.
Also included are Guinea — $4,746.77; Benin — $4,758.22; Myanmar — $5,047.32; Timor-Leste — $5,060.22; Senegal — $5,440.63; Cameroon — $5,782.69; Tajikistan — $6,167.47; Nepal — $6,181.13; São Tomé and Príncipe — $6,434.97; Republic of Congo — $6,522.84; Pakistan — $7,014.24; Kenya — $7,590.60; Honduras — $7,863.96; Zimbabwe — $7,985.23;Tonga — $8,044.12; Côte d’Ivoire — $8,165.34; Cambodia — $8,403.27; Samoa — $8,427.34; Ghana — $8,613.25; Mauritania — $8,831.81; Venezuela — $8,910.60; Kyrgyz Republic — $9,371.04; Djibouti — $9,435.70; Nigeria — $9,532.92; Nicaragua — $9,765.25; Bangladesh — $10,271.28; Angola — $10,274.90
and Laos — $10,379.98.
WITHIN NIGERIA gathered that Federal government is yet to react to the IMF list.
