Anambra State has recorded the lowest severe and multidimensional poverty rate in the Southeast region with 9.6%, according to the 2026 Global MPI Country Briefing.
The report, published by StatiSense citing data from the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI), ranked the 12 states with the lowest multidimensional poverty rates in Nigeria.
According to the data, Lagos recorded the lowest rate at 3.7%, followed by Edo at 4.9% and Rivers at 7.2%.
Anambra ranked 6th nationally with 9.6%, making it the state with the lowest poverty rate in the Southeast, ahead of Abia at 12.3% and Imo at 14.3%.
The full list of top 12 states:
1. Lagos – 3.7%
2. Edo – 4.9%
3. Rivers – 7.2%
4. Ogun – 7.5%
5. Ekiti – 9.5%
6. Anambra – 9.6%
7. Abia – 12.3%
8. Imo – 14.3%
9. Ondo – 14.3%
10. Osun – 14.6%
11. Delta – 15.6%
12. Akwa Ibom – 20.2%
The report noted that Lagos recorded the lowest rate at 3.7%, while five of the 12 states had multidimensional poverty rates below 10%. All 12 states are in Southern Nigeria.
The data comes as the 2026 Global Multidimensional Poverty Index revealed that about 90 million Nigerians are now multidimensionally poor, with poverty concentrated in Northern Nigeria.
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