Chad was the country with the highest prevalence of multidimensional poverty in the world based on surveys from 2018 to 2023. The African country was given an index score of 0.5 on a scale from zero to one. Its neighbor Central African Republic ranked second, followed by Burundi in third. A high number of the countries on the list are located in Africa.
20 countries with the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index score worldwide from 2017 to 2023
* Estimates based on surveys conducted between 2018 and 2023. Countries for which data only was available in previous years are not included.Â
The Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) examines poverty worldwide across several dimensions. Data is collected through household surveys in 110 developing countries worldwide representing 6.1 billion people. The index score ranges from 0 to 1, with a higher score indicating a higher prevalence of multidimensional poverty.
Most countries conducted their surveys prior to 2020, meaning that the full effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war have not been covered.
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Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, & UNDP. (October 15, 2024). 20 countries with the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index score worldwide from 2017 to 2023 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 21, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341701/multidimensional-poverty-worldwide-country/
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, und UNDP. "20 countries with the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index score worldwide from 2017 to 2023." Chart. October 15, 2024. Statista. Accessed April 21, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341701/multidimensional-poverty-worldwide-country/
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, UNDP. (2024). 20 countries with the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index score worldwide from 2017 to 2023. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 21, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341701/multidimensional-poverty-worldwide-country/
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, and UNDP. "20 Countries with The Highest Multidimensional Poverty Index Score Worldwide from 2017 to 2023." Statista, Statista Inc., 15 Oct 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341701/multidimensional-poverty-worldwide-country/
Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative & UNDP, 20 countries with the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index score worldwide from 2017 to 2023 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341701/multidimensional-poverty-worldwide-country/ (last visited April 21, 2025)
20 countries with the highest Multidimensional Poverty Index score worldwide from 2017 to 2023 [Graph], Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative, & UNDP, October 15, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1341701/multidimensional-poverty-worldwide-country/
