Nigeria has slipped from 44th to 56th position among the world’s poorest countries based on GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (GDP-PPP), according to the 2026 ranking by Global Finance magazine.
The ranking placed Nigeria’s GDP per capita at $9,532.92, with the country featuring among 60 nations at the bottom of the global ranking.
Burundi emerged as the poorest country, with a GDP per capita of $994.23, followed by the Central African Republic with $1,437.72 and South Sudan with $1,467.19.
The GDP-PPP measure adjusts economic output for differences in the cost of living and inflation among countries, providing a basis for comparing the purchasing power of citizens across economies.
The latest ranking showed the continued dominance of African countries at the bottom of the table, with nine of the 10 poorest countries located on the continent. Yemen was the only non-African country among the bottom 10.
The 10 countries with the lowest GDP per capita were Burundi, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Yemen, Mozambique, Malawi, Somalia, Liberia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Nigeria’s position represented a significant change from the 2025 ranking, when the country was placed 44th.
Other African countries also occupied several positions among the poorest economies.
Niger ranked 11th with $2,108.46, Sudan 13th with $2,427.43, while Burkina Faso occupied 16th position with $3,060.34.
Lesotho ranked 17th with $3,211.83, followed by Chad at 18th with $3,284.18 and Guinea-Bissau at 19th with $3,304.84.
Mali came 20th with $3,480.41, Togo 21st with $3,563.31, The Gambia 22nd with $3,664.60 and Sierra Leone 23rd with $3,709.84.
Uganda ranked 26th with $3,923.83, while Rwanda and Tanzania occupied 29th and 30th positions respectively.
Zambia came 31st with $4,380.77, Ethiopia 32nd with $4,498.55, Guinea 33rd with $4,746.77 and Benin 34th with $4,758.22.
Senegal ranked 37th with $5,440.63, while Cameroon came 38th with $5,782.69.
Among some of Africa’s larger economies, Kenya ranked 44th with $7,590.60, Zimbabwe 46th with $7,985.23, Côte d’Ivoire 48th with $8,165.34 and Ghana 51st with $8,613.25.
Mauritania ranked 52nd with $8,831.81, Djibouti 55th with $9,435.70, while Angola came 59th with $10,274.90.
The ranking also included several countries outside Africa, including Afghanistan, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Pakistan, Nepal, Honduras, Venezuela, Bangladesh and Laos.
The figures showed some notable movements from the previous ranking. Burundi moved from second position to first, while South Sudan, which previously occupied the bottom position, dropped to third.
The Democratic Republic of Congo also moved from seventh to 10th position, while Nigeria recorded one of the more notable changes, falling 12 places from 44th to 56th.
The ranking underscores the persistent economic challenges facing many African countries, where low income levels, high living costs, unemployment and limited economic opportunities continue to affect living standards.
