Top 10 countries with the largest populations living in extreme poverty in 2026

• Nigeria has the world’s largest estimated population living in extreme poverty in the 2026 figures attributed to World Data Lab, with 73.1 million people affected, followed by the Democratic Republic of the Congo with 71.6 million.

• Seven African countries feature in the top 10: Nigeria, DR Congo, Mozambique, Tanzania, Madagascar, Uganda and Ethiopia. Afghanistan ranks third globally with 35.2 million people, while Mozambique and Yemen follow with 25 million and 24.2 million, respectively.

• The figures represent estimated numbers of people living in extreme poverty, not poverty rates. The World Bank’s international poverty line is US$3 per person per day in 2021 purchasing-power-parity terms, so the methodology used for the World Data Lab figures should be confirmed before directly comparing datasets.

The figures place the two African countries well ahead of the other nations on the list. Afghanistan ranks third, with an estimated 35.2 million people living in extreme poverty, followed by Mozambique with 25 million and Yemen with 24.2 million.

Seven of the ten countries featured are in Africa, highlighting the continent's continued struggle with extreme poverty. Tanzania, Madagascar, Uganda and Ethiopia also feature, alongside India, which ranks ninth with an estimated 14.46 million people affected.

The figures are estimates rather than an exact headcount. World Data Lab's World Poverty Clock uses demographic, economic and household survey data to estimate the number of people living in extreme poverty and track changes over time.

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Nigeria ranks first globally, with an estimated 73.1 million people living in extreme poverty in 2026.

Africa's most populous country has the largest estimated number of people affected in the ranking, putting it ahead of DR Congo by 1.5 million. The difference highlights the scale of the challenge facing both countries, which together account for approximately 144.7 million people in the supplied estimates.

Nigeria's position is based on the absolute number of people affected, not the proportion of its population living in extreme poverty. This distinction matters because a country with a very large population can have a high number of people living in poverty even when its poverty rate differs from that of a smaller country.

The figure is an estimate, not a count of every Nigerian living in poverty. It provides an indication of the scale of the challenge and the number of people whose circumstances would need to improve for extreme poverty to decline significantly.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo ranks second, with an estimated 71.6 million people living in extreme poverty.

Its figure is only 1.5 million below Nigeria's, making the two countries the clear leaders in the supplied global comparison. DR Congo's estimated population affected is also more than twice Afghanistan's 35.2 million, which ranks third.

The country's position highlights the scale of the poverty challenge in Central Africa. However, the total alone does not reveal the percentage of the Congolese population affected, the severity of deprivation experienced by individual households or how poverty is distributed across the country.

Those questions require additional indicators, including poverty rates, household income or consumption, access to essential services and regional data. The 71.6 million figure should therefore be understood as an estimate of the number of people affected, rather than a complete measure of poverty in DR Congo.

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Afghanistan ranks third globally, with an estimated 35.2 million people living in extreme poverty.

The figure is less than half the estimate for Nigeria and approximately half that of DR Congo. Nevertheless, Afghanistan remains a significant entry in the ranking, with a larger estimated population affected than Mozambique, Yemen and every other country listed below it.

The country's position also demonstrates that the burden of extreme poverty is not confined to Africa. Three of the ten countries in the ranking are outside the continent: Afghanistan, Yemen and India.

The estimate indicates the number of people affected, but it does not explain the specific circumstances of each household or establish how much poverty has increased or decreased over a particular period. Such conclusions would require comparisons with previous estimates and supporting economic and household survey data.

Mozambique ranks fourth, with an estimated 25 million people living in extreme poverty in 2026.

The southern African country has an estimated affected population that is 10.2 million lower than Afghanistan's but slightly higher than Yemen's 24.2 million.

Its inclusion among the five countries with the largest estimated populations living in extreme poverty underscores the scale of the challenge in parts of southern and eastern Africa. However, the absolute figure does not show the proportion of Mozambique's population affected or how conditions vary between households and regions.

Understanding the wider picture requires examining poverty rates, household consumption, employment, access to education and healthcare, and other measures of living standards. The supplied estimate establishes Mozambique's position by the number of people affected, rather than providing a comprehensive assessment of the country's development.

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Yemen ranks fifth, with an estimated 24.2 million people living in extreme poverty.

The figure places the country just below Mozambique, with a difference of 800,000 people in the supplied estimates. Yemen is also the third country outside Africa in the top ten, after Afghanistan and before India.

Its ranking highlights the global nature of extreme poverty, which affects countries across different regions and with different population sizes.

The number should not be interpreted as a poverty rate or as evidence that all affected people experience the same degree of deprivation. It is an estimate of the total population living below the relevant poverty threshold, and a fuller picture would require data on household circumstances and the availability of basic services.

Tanzania ranks sixth, with an estimated 23.9 million people living in extreme poverty.

Its figure is only 300,000 lower than Yemen's, placing the two countries close together in the ranking. Tanzania is also one of four African countries in the top ten after Nigeria, DR Congo and Mozambique, alongside Madagascar, Uganda and Ethiopia.

The number of people affected is an important measure of the scale of poverty, but it should be considered alongside the country's total population. A large absolute number does not necessarily mean a country has a higher poverty rate than another country with fewer people affected.

Tanzania's position in the list therefore shows the estimated number of people living in extreme poverty, rather than the percentage of Tanzanians affected or the country's overall performance on every measure of economic well-being.

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Madagascar ranks seventh, with an estimated 20.1 million people living in extreme poverty.

The figure is 3.8 million below Tanzania's estimate but remains substantial enough to place Madagascar among the ten countries with the largest affected populations worldwide.

Its inclusion alongside Tanzania, Uganda and Ethiopia means that four countries in the top ten are in eastern Africa or the wider eastern African region, depending on the regional classification used.

The estimate provides a useful indication of the scale of the challenge, although it does not establish the percentage of Madagascar's population affected or identify the specific causes of poverty. Those questions require additional data on income or consumption, employment, prices and access to essential services.

Uganda ranks eighth, with an estimated 18.2 million people living in extreme poverty.

The country follows Madagascar, whose estimated affected population is 1.9 million higher. Uganda is one of the seven African countries represented in the ranking.

The figure illustrates the importance of looking beyond national economic growth figures when assessing living standards. An economy's overall performance does not, by itself, show how income and opportunities are distributed among households or how many people remain below an international poverty threshold.

Uganda's position in this list is based on the estimated number of people affected. It should not be confused with a ranking of countries by poverty rate, income inequality or overall development.

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India ranks ninth, with an estimated 14.46 million people living in extreme poverty in the figures supplied for 2026.

Although India has one of the world's largest populations, its estimate in this particular list is considerably lower than those recorded for Nigeria and DR Congo. It is also below the figures for the seven African countries ranked above it, as well as Afghanistan, Mozambique and Yemen.

This ranking should be interpreted carefully. It presents the estimated number of people affected under the source's methodology and should not be taken to mean that India has a lower poverty rate than every country placed above it.

Cross-country comparisons depend on the poverty threshold, the reference period, household survey data and the estimation method used. Different datasets may therefore produce different totals.

Ethiopia completes the top ten, with an estimated 14.3 million people living in extreme poverty.

Its figure is 160,000 below India's estimate, placing the two countries close together at the bottom of the list. Ethiopia is the seventh African country featured in the ranking.

Its presence among the ten countries with the largest affected populations highlights the scale of extreme poverty across several parts of Africa. However, the estimate alone does not show how poverty is distributed across Ethiopia or whether the situation has improved or deteriorated compared with previous years.

A more comprehensive assessment would compare the number affected with the country's poverty rate, population trends, household consumption and access to essential services.

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Extreme poverty is measured using an internationally comparable poverty threshold. The World Bank's updated international poverty line is 'US$3 per person per day in 2021 purchasing-power-parity terms'. Purchasing power parity adjusts for differences in the cost of goods and services between countries, allowing living standards to be compared more consistently.

The threshold is not simply a conversion of US$3 into local currency at the daily exchange rate. It is adjusted to account for differences in purchasing power.

People living below the international poverty line are considered to be in extreme poverty under this measure. The figure does not capture every aspect of hardship, however. Access to safe water, sanitation, healthcare, education, housing and reliable employment can also shape people's living conditions.

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Ranking countries by the absolute number of people living in extreme poverty helps show where the largest populations affected by deprivation are concentrated. It can help governments, development organisations and researchers understand the scale of the challenge and the number of people who may need support.

However, the ranking should not be confused with one based on poverty rates. A smaller country may have a higher percentage of its population living in extreme poverty while recording a lower total number of affected people than a more populous country.

The estimates should also be compared cautiously with figures from other organisations. The World Bank's Poverty and Inequality Platform publishes its own estimates and projections, which may differ because of updated household surveys, population estimates, purchasing-power adjustments and methodological changes.

Source: World Data Lab figures for 2026, as reported in October 2026. The figures are estimates and represent the number of people living in extreme poverty, not the percentage of each country's population.