Every country where more than 20% of the population lives on less than $3 a day is in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The Democratic Republic of Congo leads at 85.32%, followed by Burundi at 74.20%, Mozambique at 81.36%, and Madagascar at 69.17%. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, accounts for 41.82%, which, in absolute terms, means roughly 92 million people.
Meanwhile, Belarus, China, Czechia, and Slovenia report zero percent extreme poverty. The crisis is real and concentrated.
Ranked: Share of Population Living in Extreme Poverty
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Country | Share of population below $3 a day (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Democratic Republic of Congo | 85.3 |
| 2 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Mozambique | 81.4 |
| 3 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Burundi | 74.2 |
| 4 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Zambia | 71.7 |
| 5 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Central African Republic | 71.6 |
| 6 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Madagascar | 69.2 |
| 7 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Niger | 60.5 |
| 8 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Kenya | 45.5 |
| 9 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Burkina Faso | 42.1 |
| 10 | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | emmanuel-ashemiriogwa | 25/08/2026 02:25 PM | Nigeria | 41.8 |
Source:
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026), accessed via OWID
