A growing number of Nigerians in rural areas are slipping deeper into poverty, with about 75.5 per cent now living below the poverty line. This grim figure, revealed in the World Bank’s April 2025 Poverty and Equity Brief for Nigeria, highlights the worsening economic reality facing millions outside urban centres.
The document lays bare a nation grappling with deepening inequality and stalled development. It shows that life is especially tough in the countryside, where economic activity has slowed, insecurity is rife, and inflation eats away at already thin incomes. Urban residents aren’t spared either poverty is widespread in cities too.
Drawing on official data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, the report revealed:
“Based on the most recent official household survey data from Nigeria’s National Bureau of Statistics, 30.9 per cent of Nigerians lived below the international extreme poverty line of $2.15 per person per day in 2018/19 before the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Regional imbalance remains stark. In 2018/19, poverty affected 46.5 per cent of the population in northern zones, compared to 13.5 per cent in the southern regions, a pattern the Bank described as spatially unequal. The Gini index placed Nigeria’s inequality score at 35.1 in the same period.
The Bank also introduced a new metric the Prosperity Gap which shows how far Nigerians are from meeting a benchmark of $25 per day. The report pegged this gap at 10.2, a high figure by global standards, and a clear sign that income inequality has barely shifted despite years of policy promises.
Children are among the worst hit. A breakdown of poverty by age showed that 72.5 per cent of Nigerians aged 0 to 14 years are living in poverty. Education plays a major role too. The report found:
• 79.5 per cent of Nigerians without formal education are poor.
• 61.9 per cent of those with only primary schooling live in poverty.
• The figure drops to 50.0 per cent for secondary school graduates.
• Just 25.4 per cent of those with tertiary education are considered poor.
Beyond income, the World Bank spotlighted widespread deprivation in basic services.
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“About 30.9 per cent of Nigerians live on less than $2.15 daily, 32.6 per cent lack access to limited-standard drinking water, 45.1 per cent do not have limited-standard sanitation, and 39.4 per cent have no electricity,” the report stated.
It also flagged major gaps in education. 17.6 per cent of adults haven’t completed primary school, while 9.0 per cent of households have at least one school-aged child out of school.
The data shows that Nigeria’s battle against poverty had already stalled before COVID-19.
“Before COVID-19, extreme poverty reduction had almost stagnated, dropping by only half a percentage point annually since 2010.”
Even in urban areas, conditions are not improving much. Jobs that offer a way out of poverty are scarce, and living costs are soaring. The Bank pointed to inflation as a major threat, warning that household income isn’t keeping up with rising prices. That’s especially true in cities.
Despite recent macroeconomic reforms, the World Bank issued a clear warning: urgent steps are needed to protect Nigeria’s most vulnerable from inflation shocks and to boost job creation through stronger, more inclusive economic activity.
Will policymakers act fast enough or will more Nigerians be pushed below the poverty line?