Society · Poverty headcount ($3.00 a day) · Nigeria
Nigeria’s poverty headcount ($3.00 a day) was 41.8% of population in 2022.
41.8% of population
2022Derived
Up 7.6 pp from 2018.
Stale — last updated 18 Oct 2026
In plain words
41.8% of population
What it is. This measure counts the share of people living below a fixed daily poverty line, set in international dollars and adjusted for what money buys in each country. The World Bank builds it from household surveys and fills the years between surveys by interpolation or extrapolation, so recent values are modelled estimates. Applying one line to everyone makes countries comparable, but it cannot show how far below the line people fall or how many sit just above it.
Lower is better. A lower share means fewer people struggle to afford food, shelter and basic services, so a falling figure is good news. The latest figure, for 2022, is 41.8% of population. Since 1985 the lowest point was 34.2% of population in 2018 and the highest was 60.9% of population in 1996. The 2022 level sits well below the 1996 peak and above the 2018 low.
Why it matters. At 41.8% of population, a very large share of Nigerians live on very little each day. For those households a rise in staple food prices can quickly cut into meals. Firms selling beyond the basics face many customers with little spare cash. The state has a large group of people who may need support such as cash transfers or subsidised services.
| Period | Poverty headcount ($3.00 a day) · Nigeria |
|---|---|
| 1985 | 51.1% of population |
| 1992 | 55.2% of population |
| 1996 | 60.9% of population |
| 2003 | 51.1% of population |
| 2010 | 38.5% of population |
| 2012 | 37.4% of population |
| 2015 | 35.8% of population |
| 2018 | 34.2% of population |
| 2022 | 41.8% of population |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
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Strata-AF™ Data, Poverty headcount ($3.00 a day), Nigeria, 2022; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 18 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/society/poverty-headcount/nigeria
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
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Methodology
Share of the population living on less than $3.00 a day (2021 purchasing power parity). A World Bank modelled estimate from household surveys, interpolated or extrapolated between survey years; not an official national release.
Share of the population living on less than $3.00 a day (2021 purchasing power parity). Unit: % of population.
This is a World Bank modelled estimate. It is built from household surveys and interpolated or extrapolated between survey years. It is not an official national release, and every value carries the Derived label.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series SI.POV.DDAY), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.