FULL LIST: Nigeria ranks 56th among world’s poorest countries by GDP-PPP

Nigeria has been ranked 56th among the world’s 60 poorest countries by GDP per capita at purchasing power parity (PPP), according to a 2026 ranking by Global Finance magazine.

The country recorded a GDP per capita of $9,532.92, falling 12 places from its 44th position in the 2025 ranking.

The ranking uses GDP per capita at purchasing power parity, a measure that adjusts economic output for differences in the cost of living and inflation across countries.

African countries dominated the lower end of the ranking, with nine of the 10 countries with the lowest GDP per capita located on the continent.

Burundi ranked as the poorest country, with a GDP per capita of $994.23, followed by the Central African Republic at $1,437.72 and South Sudan at $1,467.19.

Yemen was the only non-African country among the 10 countries at the bottom of the ranking. It recorded $1,590.19 per capita.

Mozambique, Malawi, Somalia, Liberia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo completed the bottom 10, with GDP per capita ranging from $1,688.91 to $2,032.68.

Among other African countries, Niger ranked 11th with $2,108.46, Sudan 13th with $2,427.43, while Burkina Faso occupied the 16th position with $3,060.34.

Lesotho ranked 17th at $3,211.83, followed by Chad and Guinea-Bissau at 18th and 19th with $3,284.18 and $3,304.84 respectively.

Mali was ranked 20th with $3,480.41, while Togo, The Gambia and Sierra Leone occupied the 21st, 22nd and 23rd positions respectively.

Uganda ranked 26th with $3,923.83, followed by Zambia at 31st with $4,380.77, Ethiopia at 32nd with $4,498.55, Guinea at 33rd with $4,746.77 and Benin at 34th with $4,758.22.

Senegal ranked 37th with $5,440.63, while Cameroon came 38th with $5,782.69.

Kenya was placed 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, Nigeria 56th with $9,532.92 and Angola 59th with $10,274.90.

Laos occupied the 60th position with $10,379.98.

Countries outside Africa that featured in the ranking included Afghanistan, Solomon Islands, Haiti, Papua New Guinea, Myanmar, Timor-Leste, Tajikistan, Nepal, Pakistan, Honduras, Tonga, Cambodia, Samoa, Venezuela, Kyrgyz Republic, Nicaragua, Bangladesh and Laos.

The 2026 ranking also showed significant changes from the previous year. Burundi moved from second position in 2025 to first, while South Sudan dropped from first to third.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo moved from seventh to 10th, while Nigeria recorded one of the notable declines, falling from 44th to 56th.

The ranking highlights the continued economic challenges confronting several African countries, which account for the majority of nations at the bottom of the global GDP-per-capita table.