Top 20 African Countries with the Highest Poverty Rates (2025)

Poverty remains one of the most persistent development challenges in Africa. While some regions have experienced economic growth, these gains rarely reach the communities that need them most. According to the latest Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), African countries with the highest poverty rates continue to face severe deprivation in education, healthcare, housing, sanitation, and income.

Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, stands out as one of the world’s poorest regions, shaped not by a single cause but by layers of historical, political, and economic disadvantage. Colonial extraction left weak institutions, fragile economies, and borders that fueled long-term instability. In the decades following independence, recurring coups, civil wars, and governance failures further disrupted development and limited investment, reinforcing cycles of deprivation.

Top 20 African Countries with the Highest Poverty Rates (2025)

The intensity of poverty in the Africa is striking. According to the MPI report, Large shares of the population are simultaneously deprived across multiple dimensions, living without electricity, clean water, formal education, and adequate housing. As the MPI 2025 shows, even when national poverty rates decline slightly, the poorest households often remain trapped in extreme deprivation, highlighting the persistent inequality that continues to challenge Sub-Saharan Africa.

1. Chad

Chad sits at the top of the list, where more than four out of five people live in multidimensional poverty. Rural communities struggle to get basic healthcare or schooling, and droughts regularly destroy crops, leaving families on the edge of hunger.

2. Central African Republic (CAR)

In CAR, poverty and instability are inseparable. Years of conflict have emptied schools, weakened hospitals, and left people dependent on aid. Most citizens experience multiple forms of deprivation, and progress is slow in the face of ongoing unrest.

3. Burundi

Burundi’s poverty is quiet but deep. In rural villages, access to clean water, healthcare, and education is limited. Families survive on small-scale farming, often vulnerable to floods and other climate shocks.

4. Niger

Niger, one of the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) nations, struggles with extreme multidimensional poverty. French colonial policies historically centralized resources and constrained local development, leaving long-lasting economic gaps. Today, Niger is taking steps to improve education, expand access to clean water, and invest in rural infrastructure. Agricultural support programs aim to increase productivity and reduce vulnerability to droughts. Despite these efforts, millions of Nigeriens continue to face multiple deprivations simultaneously, highlighting the depth of the country’s poverty challenges.

5. Ethiopia

Ethiopia shows stark contrasts: cities bustle with growth, yet in rural areas, households lack the basics. Children walk miles for school, clean water is scarce, and healthcare often exists only in theory. Poverty here is multidimensional and persistent.

6. Madagascar

Life in Madagascar is fragile. Cyclones tear through communities, destroying crops and homes. Most families live without electricity or proper sanitation, and access to healthcare is a luxury rather than a right.

7. Mali

Mali, another AES country, carries a legacy of poverty shaped by French colonial policies that prioritized extractive economic systems. Most people live in rural areas, deprived of schooling, healthcare, and sanitation. Insecurity in certain regions further hampers development and limits access to basic services. However, Mali has begun implementing reforms in literacy, local governance, and agriculture, providing new opportunities for communities. Infrastructure projects and regional trade initiatives aim to stimulate local economies. While the majority of Malians remain multidimensionally poor, these efforts signal slow but meaningful progress.

8. Guinea

In rural Guinea, poverty is omnipresent. Children often leave school early, healthcare is limited, and households frequently lack clean water. It is a country where hope exists, but opportunity is scarce.

9. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

The DRC is paradoxical: rich in minerals but poor in basic human development. Conflict, poor roads, and limited hospitals leave rural families deprived in almost every measure—education, health, housing.

10. Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso has long struggled with poverty, influenced by French colonial exploitation that left infrastructure and governance underdeveloped. Yet recent initiatives are changing the narrative: literacy programs, small-scale farming support, and decentralization efforts give communities new hope, even if hardship remains widespread.

11. Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau is fragile and poor. Schools are sparse, hospitals limited, and rural communities often go without electricity or clean water. The fight against poverty here is ongoing, with slow but steady improvements.

12. Mozambique

Mozambique’s poverty stems from a history of conflict and natural disasters. Rural households often live without sanitation or electricity, and access to healthcare and education is far from guaranteed.

13. Sierra Leone

In Sierra Leone, scars of past civil conflict linger. Rural areas struggle with basic services, and families must navigate hunger, disease, and lack of schooling almost daily.

14. Mauritania

Mauritania’s wealth is concentrated in cities, leaving rural populations deprived. Many families lack healthcare, education, and clean water, though small development projects are beginning to make a difference.

15. Uganda

In Uganda, rural communities face entrenched poverty. Limited access to schools, health facilities, and sanitation keeps millions trapped in multidimensional deprivation.

16. Benin

Benin has seen modest economic growth, but in villages, poverty is still palpable. Schools, clean water, and electricity are not guaranteed, leaving large parts of the population struggling.

17. Sudan

Political instability and past conflicts have left Sudan with widespread poverty. Many families go without healthcare or schooling, particularly in rural and conflict-affected areas.

18. Liberia

Liberia continues its slow recovery from civil war and the Ebola epidemic. Multidimensional poverty persists, especially in rural communities where infrastructure is limited.

19. Angola

Angola is rich in resources, but most benefits concentrate in cities. Rural populations remain deprived of education, clean water, and electricity, leaving stark inequalities across the country.

20. Malawi

Malawi’s poverty is concentrated in rural areas, where subsistence farming dominates. Families often lack clean water, electricity, and access to healthcare. Education is limited, and children frequently leave school early to help support their families.

The 20 African Countries with Highest Poverty Rate (2025)

Source: Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI)