Rising Extreme Poverty in Western and Central Africa Amid Economic Instability, Conflict and Climate Shocks

Western and Central Africa faces an intensifying extreme poverty crisis driven by compounding economic, security, and climate shocks. As of 2026, approximately 429 million people across Africa live below the extreme poverty line of $2.15 per day, with roughly one-third of the continent's 1.4 billion inhabitants in extreme poverty. The region hosts about a quarter of the world's extreme poor, and around 73% of its population now lives in countries affected by fragility, conflict, and violence. Nigeria alone accounts for 12% of the global extreme poor population as of 2026, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo represents approximately 11.7% of global extreme poverty. Central African countries experience the most severe deprivation, with an average of 35% of citizens experiencing severe lived poverty, compared to 27% in West and Southern Africa. Severe lived poverty has surged dramatically across the region over the past decade. Between 2014/2015 and 2021/2023, severe lived poverty rose by at least 2 percentage points in 70% of surveyed African countries, with Nigeria experiencing the steepest increase of 26 percentage points, followed by Namibia and Mali at 17 points each. Countries facing the most acute crises include Mauritania (50% experiencing frequent shortages of basic necessities), Congo-Brazzaville (48%), Angola (44%), Niger (40%), and Nigeria (39%). Multiple interconnected factors drive this deterioration: ongoing armed conflict and insecurity disrupt markets and essential services; macroeconomic shocks including severe inflation (with some countries experiencing rates exceeding 100%) and currency devaluation erode purchasing power; climate-related disasters including droughts, floods, and crop failures devastate predominantly rain-fed smallholder agriculture; and slow economic recovery limits employment opportunities and government capacity for social protection. The humanitarian situation is particularly dire in the Sahel and Central Africa. Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso, and Chad rank among the world's poorest countries, with Niger at 45.3% poverty rate and Chad facing near-total poverty by end of 2025 due to oil sector disruptions and internal conflict. Access to basic services remains critically limited: 220 million people in Western and Central Africa lack electricity access, while approximately 350 million lack internet access. Climate risks pose escalating threats, with estimates suggesting adverse weather events could cause annual GDP losses of 2% to 19% by 2050, potentially pushing millions more into poverty.