The determination of the poorest countries in the world is based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, which is a measurement of a country’s total economic output divided by its population. Here’s a list of the top 10 poorest countries in the world as of 2024, along with some of the factors contributing to their poverty:
- South Sudan ($455): Decades of civil war and dependence on oil revenues have crippled South Sudan’s economy.
- Burundi ($916): A landlocked country in East Africa, Burundi has suffered from political instability, ethnic conflict, and a lack of economic diversification.
- Central African Republic ($1,123): The Central African Republic has been ravaged by civil war for much of the past decade, leading to widespread poverty, hunger, and displacement.
- Democratic Republic of the Congo ($1,552): Despite vast natural resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo faces extreme poverty due to political corruption, conflict, and weak infrastructure.
- Niger ($1,675): Niger, a landlocked country in the Sahel region of Africa, grapples with poverty due to recurring droughts, food insecurity, and a high dependency on subsistence agriculture.
- Malawi ($1,712): Malawi is a small, landlocked country in Southeast Africa. Poverty in Malawi is caused by high population density, low agricultural productivity, and a heavy burden of disease.
- Liberia ($1,882): Civil war and political instability have severely hampered Liberia’s economic development. Liberia is still recovering from the Ebola virus outbreak of 2014-2015.
- Madagascar ($1,979): Madagascar, an island country off the southeastern coast of Africa, is one of the world’s poorest countries. Poverty in Madagascar is caused by political instability, corruption, and natural disasters.
- Yemen ($1,996): Yemen has been embroiled in a civil war since 2015, leading to a humanitarian crisis. The war has caused widespread poverty, hunger, and displacement.
It’s important to note that poverty is a complex issue with various contributing factors. The list above highlights some of the poorest countries based on GDP per capita, but it doesn’t necessarily capture the entire picture.