Nigeria has been ranked 56th among the world’s 60 poorest countries in a 2026 ranking by Global Finance magazine, based on GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP).
The ranking places Nigeria’s GDP per capita at $9,532.92, down from 44th position in the 2025 ranking.
Burundi ranked 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.
GDP per capita at purchasing power parity adjusts economic output for differences in the cost of living and inflation between countries, providing a basis for comparing living standards.
Nine of the 10 countries at the bottom of the ranking are African, with Yemen the only non-African country in the bottom 10. The countries are Burundi, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Yemen, Mozambique, Malawi, Somalia, Liberia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nigeria ranked ahead of Nicaragua, Bangladesh, Angola and Laos, which occupied the 57th, 58th, 59th and 60th positions respectively.
Among other African countries, Niger ranked 11th with $2,108.46, while Sudan came 13th with $2,427.43. Burkina Faso ranked 16th with $3,060.34, followed by Lesotho, Chad and Guinea-Bissau in 17th, 18th and 19th positions respectively.
Mali ranked 20th, Togo 21st, The Gambia 22nd and Sierra Leone 23rd, while Uganda came 26th.
Zambia ranked 31st with $4,380.77, followed by Ethiopia at 32nd, Guinea at 33rd and Benin at 34th.
Senegal occupied the 37th position with $5,440.63, while Cameroon ranked 38th with $5,782.69.
Kenya came 44th with $7,590.60, Zimbabwe 46th with $7,985.23 and Côte d’Ivoire 48th with $8,165.34.
Ghana ranked 51st with $8,613.25, Mauritania 52nd with $8,831.81 and Djibouti 55th with $9,435.70. Angola ranked 59th with $10,274.90, while Laos came 60th with $10,379.98.
The ranking showed that African countries dominated the lower end of the list, reflecting the economic challenges confronting several countries on the continent.
There were also notable changes from the 2025 ranking. Burundi moved from second to first place, while South Sudan fell from first to third. The Democratic Republic of the Congo moved from seventh to 10th, while Nigeria dropped from 44th to 56th.
Nigeria ranked 56th with $9,532.92 GDP per capita (PPP).
Other countries immediately above Nigeria included Djibouti ($9,435.70), Kyrgyz Republic ($9,371.04), Venezuela ($8,910.60), Mauritania ($8,831.81) and Ghana ($8,613.25).