As great as it can be to study the world’s richest countries, it’s important to be aware of the poorest ones as well. These countries’ financial situation is often caused by multiple crises such as wars, conflicts, dictatorial regimes, natural disasters…
Defining “poor” is so complicated, however, for this list, we’re going to stick with the metric used by the World Bank ranking system: GDP per Capita.
Most of the world’s poorest countries are in Africa, which has a regional GDP per Capita of $1,781.
Here’s a list of the poorest countries in the world:
1. Burundi:
You were definitely asking yourself which is the poorest country in the world, well here is the answer to your question, Burundi is the poorest country in the world.
Burundi is a landlocked country in East Africa. It has borders with Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda.
The country has been inhabited since prehistoric times and is considered to be the home of many African tribes. It was an important center of trade and civilization in ancient times.
In the 19th century, it was a Belgian colony until it gained independence in 1962. Burundi became independent in 1962 and has had a turbulent history with civil war and dictatorship ever since. Since then, it has been led by different governments that have all been unstable as well as democratic or authoritarian regimes that have come to power through elections or coups d’état. In recent years, Burundians have seen a rise in violence between different ethnic groups.
The poorest country in the world has a GDP per capita of $264.
2. South Sudan:
South Sudan is the second country on the list of the poorest countries in the world.
It is the southern country of Sudan. It borders Ethiopia, DRC, Uganda, and Kenya. South Sudan has a very diverse population, which is mostly Christian, Muslim, and animist. It is also home to one of the largest refugee populations in Africa, who fled from political unrest in 2012.
South Sudan has a history of conflict between its various ethnic groups (mostly Christian) and their neighbors (mostly Muslim). This resulted in a series of wars between these groups until 2011 when an agreement was signed to end all conflicts by signing a peace agreement known as the “Accords”. The deal was signed at Algiers on 23 November 2011 but it was not implemented until January 2012 when Omar al-Bashir signed it into law.
South Sudan has a GDP per capita of $303.
3. Somalia:
Somalia is a country in Africa, located in the Horn of Africa. It’s the third poorest country in the world with one of the highest fertility rates as well as some of the highest infant mortality rates. Somalia is also one of the most dangerous countries in sub-Saharan Africa due to its borders with Ethiopia and Kenya.
The region that comprises Somalia is known as Somaliland, which was established as an autonomous region within Somalia by Mohamed Farrah Aidid, an ethnic Somali leader who led a rebel movement against the central government.
Somalia has a GDP of $438 per capita.
4. Mozambique:
Mozambique is a country in southern Africa. It is located between South Africa and Tanzania on the Indian Ocean. It has an area of 2,200,000 square kilometers and a population of around 10 million people.
Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in Africa and the World. The country’s economy is based on agriculture, mining, and fishing as well as Its main exports including coffee, tobacco, and cotton. It also has some mineral resources such as gold, diamonds, and phosphates.
In addition to having a very low level of literacy and education, Mozambique has been isolated from the rest of the world for decades.
Mozambique has a GDP of $448 per capita.
5. Madagascar:
The island nation of Madagascar is a country in Africa, located off the east coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.
Madagascar is one of the world’s most isolated countries with a population of about 3 million people. Its economy relies on agriculture and fishing, but it has no natural resources to sustain its population. As a result, this lack of natural resources has led to severe poverty and extreme social conditions in this country.
Madagascar has a GDP of $471 per capita.
6. Sudan:
Although they have a close nomination, Sudan and South Sudan are not the same. The government of South Sudan is not the same as the administration of Sudan. They battled to become autonomous states and, in 2005, they gained what they desired by consenting to stop the civil war.
Sudan is known as the Republic of Sudan whereas South Sudan is referred to as ‘Southern Sudan’.
It has a GDP of $486 per capita.
7. Central African Republic:
Central African Republic is rich in gold, oil, uranium, and diamonds, nevertheless, it is still one of the poorest countries in the world. Accordingly, 60% of its 4,8 million people live below the poverty line. The spread of the coronavirus together with the measures taken by the government made matters even worse. However, Central African Republic has been showing some signs of progress after being the poorest country in the world for years.
It has now a GDP of $492 per capita.
8. Sierra Leone:
Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa. It is located on the west coast of Africa, bordering both Guinea-Bissau and Liberia. The country has been plagued by poverty for decades, with most of its population living below the poverty line. The government has tried to address this issue by introducing various programs that have helped reduce poverty levels in the country. However, these programs have not been able to bring about significant changes in the lives of most people living there.
Sierra Leone has a GDP of $509 per capita.
9. Afghanistan:
Afghanistan is a country in South Asia, bordering 6 countries. The country’s poverty is an issue that needs to be addressed. Afghanistan is one of the poorest countries in the world, with low life expectancy and high infant mortality rates. It has been under severe economic sanctions since 2001 by the United States of America due to its support for groups such as al-Qaeda and the Taliban. With this crisis comes a serious problem for many people living there: food insecurity. In fact, it’s estimated that around 50% of all children under five are malnourished due to a lack of access to food or adequate nutrition at home or school.
Last year, the American mission to Afghanistan came to an end. The U.S military departed the country on 30 august 2021 leaving it in complete chaos. As a result, the Taliban have taken over the country, which may make the country’s situation even worse.
Afghanistan has a GDP of $516 per capita.
10. Democratic Republic of the Congo:
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is a country in central Africa. It is the second-largest country in Africa and the eleventh largest country in the world. The DRC has a population of about 92 million people, which makes it one of the most densely populated countries on earth.
It has a GDP of $544 per capita.
Conclusion:
In the 21st century, more and more people are suffering from poverty. The number of people living below the poverty line has been increasing since the 1990s. The reason for this is that a large number of developing countries have not developed their economies as they should have done, and they are unable to provide food, shelter and other basic needs to their citizens. This is particularly difficult in Africa where so many people live under extreme poverty.