Nigeria Ranks 12th Poorest Globally as GDP Per Capita Falls To $807

Nigeria Ranks 12th Poorest Globally as GDP Per Capita Falls To $807

Nigeria has been ranked as the 12th poorest nation globally in 2025 based on gross domestic product (GDP) per capita—a sobering reflection of the country’s deepening poverty crisis.

New data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as shared by Visual Capitalist, shows Nigeria’s GDP per capita at just $807, placing it among the 15 lowest-ranked nations out of 50 surveyed worldwide. This glaring figure highlights the sharp disconnect between the country’s vast economic potential and the harsh economic realities faced by most of its population.

While Nigeria remains one of Africa’s economic giants in terms of total GDP, the low per capita income paints a stark picture of inequality, with wealth concentrated in the hands of a few and the majority grappling with day-to-day survival. For many citizens, this ranking only reinforces the painful truth: national economic progress has yet to trickle down to improve ordinary lives.

Nigeria’s dismal position comes amid rising inflation, surging food prices, and record unemployment. The country’s minimum wage remains at ₦70,000 (about $45/month), while basic necessities like food, transport, and housing have become unaffordable for many.

“Chronic conflict, fragile institutions, and limited industrial bases continue to suppress income growth in many of them,” Visual Capitalist noted, referring to the nations at the bottom of the ranking, “even as the global economy rebounds after the pandemic.”

South Sudan ranked as the world’s poorest country with a GDP per capita of $251, followed by Yemen, Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Malawi. Other African nations such as Madagascar, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and Niger also feature prominently on the list.

The report further highlights Africa’s marginalisation in global economic output. Despite accounting for 19% of the world’s population, the continent represents only 3% of global GDP, currently estimated at $113 trillion.

India, though the world’s fourth-largest economy by total GDP, also appears on the list, ranking 50th with a GDP per capita of $2,878 — showing that scale alone doesn’t ensure widespread prosperity.

Nigeria’s descent into the ranks of the world’s poorest by individual income levels raises urgent questions about leadership, economic management, and the nation’s future. With over 133 million people living in multidimensional poverty — according to earlier government and World Bank data — the country faces a ticking social and economic time bomb.

As poverty deepens, the need for inclusive growth, accountable governance, and genuine structural reform becomes ever more critical — not just to improve Nigeria’s global standing, but to deliver hope to its citizens.

• NNPCL Accuses Saboteurs Amid Senate N210 Trillion Audit Ultimatum
• We Have Agreed To Work Together – Wike, Fubara Declare
• Just-In: Tinubu Reunites Wike, Fubara, Lawmakers