The 10 Poorest Countries in the World

Have you ever tried to find out which are the poorest countries in the world? Well, you are about to find out the same on this list.

The richness or poorness of a nation can be measured in multiple ways, but the most sought-after method is to categorise them by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) at Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) per capita. It basically refers to the value of all the goods and services that are produced by a specific nation in a particular year, divided by the average population of the nation for that same year. And this is what we are using to create our list. The less the GDP per capita of a country is, the poorer it is, and vice-versa.

Currently, we have 195 countries in the world. Today, we are going to find which are the poorest among them all. This is the latest list that was presented by the International Monetary Fund in 2017, and all the figures are in Gaery-Khamis dollars, which is also known as the international dollar.

So, here’s presenting the 10 poorest countries in the world.

The 10 Poorest Countries in the World
Comoros

Starting our list at number 10 is Comoros, with a GDP per capita of $1,560.

Comoros is the world’s 171st largest and 159th most populous country in the world. Moroni serves as the capital for this nation. This relatively new African country gained its independence from France in 1975.

Comprising of three major and numerous other small islands, this volcanic archipelago has a diverse culture and history due to being formed at the crossroads of various civilisations.

Poor it may be, but it is the world’s largest producer of ylang ylang, which is basically an important oil which is used in a number of fragrances. Besides, it is also the world’s second largest producer of vanilla.

Important landmarks in Comoros include Moheli Marine Park, Mount Karthala, Centre Nation de Documentation et de Recherche Scientifique, Karthala Forest, Palais Royal de La Grande Comores, among others.

Madagascar

Next up at number 9 on our list is Madagascar, with a GDP per capita of $1,554.

This African nation, which gained its independence from France in the year 1960, is the world’s 46th largest and 51st most populous nation. Antananarivo is its capital city.

It is also the home to a diverse range of wildlife, including almost half of world’s chameleons, 90% of the world’s lemur and the famous Madagascar hissing cockroaches. In fact, most of the wildlife found here can’t be seen in any other part of the world.

Madagascar once was a haven for pirate, mainly due to its secluded coves and the absence of European invaders for centuries.

Places of interest in Madagascar include Avenue of the Baobabs, Amber Mountain National Park, Isalo National Park, Ranomafana National Park, among others.

Eritrea

Grabbing the 8th spot on our list of the 10 poorest countries in the world is Eritrea, with a GDP per capita of $1,434.

Eritrea is the world’s 99th largest and 118th most populous nation in the world. Its capital city is Asmara.

After decades and decades of fighting for its independence from one ruler to another, Eritrea finally declared its independence in 1993. Around 40% of its freedom fighters are women. Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) has the largest percentage of women than any other liberation army in the world.

It is home to some of the scarcest coral species on the planet, which can’t be seen anywhere else.

All local media in this African country are state-owed. So naturally, it was ranked as the country with the least press freedom in the global Press Freedom Index. Besides, human rights in the country have been described among the worst in the world by Human Rights Watch.

Eritrea’s famous landmarks include National Museum of Eritrea, Cinema Impero, Adulis, Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, Asmara, among others.

Mozambique

Number 7 on our list comes Mozambique, with a GDP per capita of $1,266.

The 35th largest and 48th most populous nation in the world, Mozambique gained its independence from Portugal in 1975. However, it was marred by an intense civil war from 1977 to 1992. It was only since 1994 that it has had been a stable presidential republic.

Maputo serves as its capital city. Although currently poor, this African nation has been forecasted to be one of the fastest growing countries in the world.

It is also referred to as the place where “Noah parked his arc”. It is also the only one-word country in the world to feature all the five vowels.

Its wildlife is one of the richest and diverse on earth. Some of its famous landmarks are Gorongosa National Park, Lake Malawi, Island of Mozambique, Quirimbas Islands, among others.

Malawi

Coming in at number 6 on our list is Malawi, with a GDP per capita of $1,172.

With Lilongwe as its capital city, it is the world’s 98th largest and 64th most populous nation in the world. Malawi gained its independence from the United Kingdom in the year 1964.

A huge array of culture and religious beliefs can be seen in the country due to a diverse population of natives, Europeans, and Asians in the country.

One of its lake, Lake Malawi, is home to more species of fish than any other lake on earth. The clear sky above the lake also provides an excellent view for star-gazing. This lake also comprises for more than one-fifth of the country’ total area.

The World Happiness Report for the time period of 2015-2017 has ranked Malawi as the 10th unhappiest country in the world. The high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in the country has marred its economy.

Places of interest in this African country includes Liwonde National Park, Nyika National Park, Lake Malawi National Park, Chongoni Rock Art Area, among others.

Niger

Entering the top 5 on our list of the 10 poorest countries in the world is Niger, with a GDP per capita of $1,153.

Niger gained its independence from France in the year 1960. Niamey serves as the capital for this African country. It is the world’s 21st largest and 57th most populous country.

It also has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world, with only 19.1% of its citizens passing the literacy test. Another setback for this landlocked country is the fact that nearly 80% of its land is arid.

The Niger river, which is one of the largest rivers in the world, is also one of the clearest rivers in the world.

Besides, it is also one of the hottest nations in the world. It is known as the “Frying Pan of the World”. However, this is one of the places which were inhabited by humans first, with research indicating that human presence was found in the country 600,000 years ago.

It also has the world’s largest uranium deposits.

Its famous landmarks include Agadez Mosque, Grand Mosque of Niamey, Lake Chad, Air and Tenere National Nature Reserve, among others.

Liberia

Number 4 on our list comes Liberia, with a GDP per capita of $867.

Liberia is the first African republic to proclaim its independence, which it did in 1847. It is also Africa’s first and oldest modern republic. The country basically began as a settlement of the American Colonization Society (ACS), who had a belief that freedom for black people can be achieved more in Africa than in the USA.

It is the 102nd largest and 125th most populous nation in the world. Monrovia is the capital city of Liberia

Despite being 170 years old, the average age of its citizens is one of the youngest in the world – 17.9 years. It also has some of the cleanest cities in the world. It also has the second largest commercial fleet of ships in the world.

The 24th president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who served from 2006 to 2018, is the first female president in Africa.

The World Happiness Report for the time period of 2015-2017 has ranked Malawi as the 8th unhappiest country in the world. Almost 85% of its population live below the international poverty line. A military coup in the 1980s and the recent Ebola epidemic threatened the country’s economic stance.

Its important landmarks include Sapo National Park, Liberian National Museum, Mount Nimba Strict Nature Reserve, Mount Richard-Molard, among others.

Burundi

Breaking into the top 3 of our list of the 10 poorest countries in the world is Burundi, with a GDP per capita of $808.

Burundi is the 143rd largest and 85th most populous country in the world. Bujumbura is the capital city of this African nation. It gained its independence from Belgium in the year 1962.

A vast majority of its population live in the rural area, and just 13% live in the urban area. Sex trafficking and child labour are also rampant in the country.

The World Happiness Report for the time period of 2015-2017 has ranked Malawi as the unhappiest country in the world.

Its famous landmarks are Livingston-Stanley Monument, Lake Tanganyika, Rusizi National Park, Kibira National Park, among others

Democratic Republic of Congo

Number 2 on our list is the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a GDP per capita of $785.

Democratic Republic of Congo is the 11th largest and 17th most populous country in the world. It gained its independence from Belgium in the year 1960. Kinshasa serves as its capital city.

The country has an extremely diverse ethnic group, with multiple languages spoken throughout it.

It also has more than 1,130 species of birds, more than any other African country.

It is also notorious for recruiting child soldiers for its army. Only 10% of its population have access to electricity and only 1.8% of its road is tarred. On the other hand, it is among the most resource-rich nations in the world, with an abundance of tin, gold, tungsten, among others.

Witchcraft is also prevalent in the country, and often children are accused of being witches and they are beaten, killed or abandoned in the streets.

Places of interest in this African nation are Lake Kivu, Mount Nyiragongo, Virunga National Park, Lake Tanganyika, among others.

Central African Republic

The poorest country in the world as of now is Central African Republic, with a GDP per capita of $681.

It is the world’s 44th largest and 123rd most populous nation in the world. Bangui serves as its capital city. It gained its independence from France in the year 1960.

The country has been named to the unhealthiest country and has been estimated as the worst country for young population to live.

However, Central African Republic is home to many endemic species such as skink, Sangha forest robin, sternfield river frog, oubangui mouse, among others.

The World Happiness Report for the time period of 2015-2017 has ranked Malawi as the 2nd unhappiest country in the world. It also has one of the lowest literacy rates in the world, with only 36.8% of its population as literates.

Places of interest in this African nation are Nouabale-Ndoki National Park, Cathedrale Notre-Dame, Dzanga-Sangha Special Reserve, Manovo-Gounda St. Floris National Park, among others.

So, as you see the 10 poorest countries in the world are all from Africa. No Asian, European, North American, South American or Australian country even feature anywhere close to it. We hope more help is brought out to these countries by the various international organizations who are involved in helping out people. And the richest countries in the world, should help them, in any way possible, in their journey towards development. After all, creating a better world should be the vision for all