- The 2026 Global MPI report revealed that 616 million people in sub-Saharan Africa live in acute multidimensional poverty
- Nigeria recorded the highest number of affected people on the continent, with 113.3 million living in multidimensional poverty in 2024
- Kenya ranked 10th among the most affected African countries, with 14.3 million people living in multidimensional poverty
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
Nigeria has the largest population living in multidimensional poverty among African nations, with 113.3 million people affected in 2024.
Source: Getty Images
This is according to the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) published jointly by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI).
The report, which covers 108 countries using survey data collected between 2014 and 2025, measures deprivation across three dimensions: health, education and living standards. It goes beyond income to account for gaps in access to clean water, electricity, sanitation, healthcare and quality schooling.
How is the scale of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa?
Across sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 616 million people, equivalent to 51.4% of the region's population, live in acute multidimensional poverty.
Nigeria's poverty rate stands at 48.7%, meaning nearly half the country's population falls below the multidimensional poverty threshold.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo ranked second with 73.8 million people affected, representing a poverty rate of 67.6%.
Tanzania came third with 32.4 million people, or 47.2% of its population, living in multidimensional poverty.
Other countries with high absolute numbers include Madagascar (21.9 million, 68.4%), Niger (21.6 million, 79.9%), Mozambique (21 million, 60.7%), Angola (18.7 million, 49.3%), Mali (15.8 million, 64.4%) and Burkina Faso (15.2 million, 64.5%).
How was Kenya ranked?
Kenya ranked 10th on the list, with 14.3 million people living in multidimensional poverty in 2024, corresponding to a poverty rate of 25.4%.
While that rate is markedly lower than most of the countries above it, the absolute number of affected Kenyans remains significant.
The report attributes deepening deprivation to a combination of low-productivity employment, infrastructure shortfalls, conflict, climate shocks and limited access to essential services, with rural communities bearing the heaviest burden.
Which African countries received the highest US foreign aid?
In other news, we also highlighted facts about the seven African countries that ranked among the top 10 recipients of US foreign aid in FY 2025.
These include Ethiopia, which received the most assistance.
The funding largely supported food security, refugee services and healthcare as countries faced conflict, displacement and other humanitarian pressures.
Source: TUKO.co.ke