Poverty and living standards in Abia, Nigeria: official figures
29.8% of people in Abia were multidimensionally poor in the 2022 Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (survey 2021/22), about 1.12 million people. That rate is 3rd lowest of the 36 states and the FCT; the national rate was 63%.
How severe is poverty in Abia?
Abia's 1.12 million poor people are 0.8% of the 133 million multidimensionally poor people in Nigeria. On average a poor person in Abia is deprived in 33.9% of the weighted indicators (the intensity of poverty), giving an MPI value of 0.101.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow many children in Abia live in poverty?
Children are hit harder: 31.4% of under-18s in Abia are multidimensionally poor, against 28.8% of adults.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyWhat do poor households in Abia go without?
The most common deprivations among poor people in Abia are food insecurity, cooking with wood, charcoal or dung and a health facility more than 30 minutes away: 24.6%, 23.8% and 17.3% of all residents are both poor and affected.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyDo poor families in Abia have clean water and toilets?
4.1% of residents are poor and lack safe drinking water, 16.4% are poor and lack an improved toilet, and 23.8% are poor and cook with wood, charcoal or dung.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics · saved copyHow Abia compares with other states
Multidimensionally poor (share of people) (2021/22)
Abia ranks 35 of 37, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Multidimensionally poor (share of people) |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Osun | 40.7% |
| 32 | Ekiti | 36.0% |
| 33 | Edo | 35.4% |
| 34 | Anambra | 32.1% |
| 35 | Abia | 29.8% |
| 36 | Lagos | 29.4% |
| 37 | Ondo | 27.2% |
More on Abia: overview · economy and jobs · health · education and schools · government budget · Nigeria
Sources
- National Bureau of Statistics: Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (2022), Appendix D tables by state, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 26498590b192…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.