Top 100 Poorest Countries In The World (2024)

The poorest countries in the world are some of the least mentioned names in the global media because poverty is an unpleasant reality that the world rather not see. Poverty has been defined as a lack of money, but that definition is too simple; it leaves out the hunger, homelessness, squalor, sickness, and lack of human decency.

Poor countries are at the bottom of world importance; sadly they are often the last to get a mention whenever something notable is happening in the world.

They have the least literate population, experience high mortality rates, and their markets are the least vibrant which means investors have the least chance of recovering whatever money they invest. All these factors make poor countries generally poorer, while the rest of the world gets richer.

Top 100 Poorest Countries In The World

1. Burundi

GDP Per Capita: $727

Burundi is a country in Burundi the Great Rift Valley area; which is near East Africa. Burundi is landlocked; it is surrounded by Rwanda, Tanzania, and Democratic Republic of the Congo. Thankfully, Lake Tanganyika lies along its southwestern border.

Burundi is the poorest country in the world; most of the 12.5 million people in the country live in abject poverty.

Burundi’s economy is small; 90 percent of the population is engaged in agriculture; and not even the type of agriculture that brings profits- this is subsistence agriculture; just to meet their food needs.

2. The Central African Republic

GDP Per Capita: $822

The Central African Republic is a country in Central Africa; one that is also landlocked. The country is surrounded by Chad, Sudan, South Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congo Brazzaville, and Cameroon.

The Central African Republic was recently in the news because of socio-ethnic disturbances. Those kinds of disturbances are associated with poor countries because poor people are generally angry.

With a GDP per capita of $822; CAR is one of the poorest places on earth. Without doubt, this has to do with the unresolved war or ethnic disturbances. Most of the people are farmers; and mostly they plant staple foods such as cassava or maize.

3. Congo Democratic Republic

GDP Per Capita: $849

Congo Democratic Republic is a large country with much potential. The country is located in central Africa; and has neighbors like Uganda, Congo Brazzaville, Central African Republic, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Tanzania and Angola.

Congo DR has a vast expanse of fertile land; and very hard working people. However, the country still struggles with a lack of infrastructure such as electricity, transportation, and outdated systems of agriculture.

Even though the country is underdeveloped; it is one of those with the greatest potential on the continent, and can rise out of poverty with the right leadership.

4. Eritrea

GDP Per Capita: $1,060

Eritrea is a country in the horn of Africa. Nearby countries include Ethiopia, Sudan, and Djibouti. This country was established in 1993, after a long and bloody war with Ethiopia. Eritrea is still in the process of building its society and economy.

Eritrea has one of the lowest GDP per capita in the world; it is estimated at $1,060. Agriculture is the main economic activity in Eritrea, it employs a large section of the population. Other up-coming sectors of the economy include mining, tourism, and services. In fact mining provides the bulk of the income to the government, but it does not directly affect the people.

5. Niger

GDP Per Capita: $1,106

Niger is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by countries like Libya, Chad, Nigeria, Benin and Burkina Faso, Algeria and Mali. Niger Republic is a landlocked country, but has great potential because it has good relationships with its neighbors in West and North Africa.

Niger suffers from Jihadist Insurrections, lack of infrastructure, drought and desertification, as well as a population that is growing faster than what the government can manage.

Niger has an economy that is built around subsistence agriculture, and that has so many challenges chief among which is the lack of adequate rainfall. The people are just not equipped to grow their agriculture such that it can be profitable.

6. Malawi

GDP Per Capita: $1,240

Malawi has a GDP per capita of $1,240, making it poor by any definition. Malawi has a population of 20 million, and is located in Southeastern Africa. Malawi is one of the oldest inhabited parts of sub Saharan Africa- there are rock arts to prove this.

Malawi is poor because of the problems hindering direct investment. The people have for a long time depended on subsistence agriculture. However, that tide is turning; farmers are forming cooperatives and working together to make farming more profitable.

Malawi’s poverty is reducing because of the efforts of government and other organizations.

7. Mozambique

GDP Per Capita: $1,303

Mozambique is a country in southeast Africa. Its neighbors include Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini and South Africa. Across the Mozambique Channel, the country is close to Comoros, Mayotte and Madagascar.

Mozambique is classified as a heavily indebted poor country; this is because raw materials are the country’s main exports, and the mining industry does not provide enough employment to cater to the greater population.

Manufacturing and food processing are virtually non existent, but the services sector is quite active.

8. Liberia

GDP Per Capita: $1,404

Liberia is a country in West Africa; it is located close to countries like Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ivory Coast, and an extensive coastline meeting the Atlantic Ocean. Liberia is quite a small country; it has a population of about 5 million.

Liberia has had a bloody history; it has fought two civil wars; and has not really recovered. The economic outlook therefore looks poor even know despite decades of peace.

Liberia still depends rather heavily on foreign aid, and the country is also deeply indebted. However, the manufacturing industry has made significant progress, and the country may become quite stable very soon, then it is only a matter of time before the spending power increases.

9. South Sudan

GDP Per Capita: $1,602

South Sudan is a landlocked country in Eastern Africa. Some of its neighbors include Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya, Sudan, Central African Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. South Sudan has a population of around 10.9 million.

South Sudan is a new country; it attained independence in 2011. This means there is a lot of nation building to be done; the country needs to build its infrastructure, so as to make production easier and help the people build wealth.

The economy is supported by the exportation of raw materials such as oil, copper, timber, silver, gold, and iron ore.

10. Sierra Leone

GDP Per Capita: $1,690

Sierra Leone is a country in the Western Coast of Africa. Its closest neighbors are Liberia, and Guinea. Sierra Leone has a similar history and culture to Liberia. The country has very good land; it ranges from Savannah to Rainforests.

Sierra Leone has a population of around 7 million; although the land area is quite small, there is access to the Atlantic Ocean.

Sierra Leone has not been able to build its economy which collapsed due to war. A big concern is corruption especially in the diamond sector; much of the money has been going to private hands, thus limiting the funds available for the government to fight poverty.

The following is a more extensive presentation of the 100 poorest countries in the world.

Position	Country	Location	GDP Per Capita
1	Burundi	East Africa	$727
2	The Central African Republic	Central Africa	$822
3	Congo Democratic Republic	Central Africa	$849
4	Eritrea	East Africa	$1,060
5	Niger	West Africa	$1,106
6	Malawi	East Africa	$1,240
7	Mozambique	East Africa	$1,303
8	Liberia	West Africa	$1,404
9	South Sudan	Eastern African	$1,602
10	Sierra Leone	West Africa	$1,690
11	Madagascar	Southeastern Africa	$1,699
12	Togo	West Africa	$1,826
13	Haiti	The Caribbean	$1,878
14	Guinea-Bissau	West Africa	$2,016
15	Burkina Faso	West Africa	$2,077
16	Afghanistan	Middle East	$2,095
17	Kiribati	Oceania	$2,138
18	Yemen	Middle East	$2,280
19	Solomon Islands	Oceania	$2,303
20	Guinea	West Africa	$2,441
21	Rwanda	Central Africa	$2,452
22	Mali	West Africa	$2,471
23	Chad	West Africa	$2,481
24	Ethiopia	East Africa	$2,511
25	Uganda	East Africa	$2,631
26	Zimbabwe	Southern Africa	$2,702
27	The Gambia	West Africa	$2,745
28	Comoros	Southern Africa	$2,799
29	Vanuatu	South Pacific Ocean	$2,957
30	Nepal	South Asia	$3,318
31	Sao Tome and Principe	Central Africa	$3,387
32	Tanzania	East Africa	$3,402
33	Benin	West Africa	$3,446
34	Federated States Of Micronesia	Oceania	$3,562
35	Tajikistan	Asia	$3,589
36	Lesotho	Southern Africa	$3,615
37	Senegal	West Africa	$3,815
38	Marshall Islands	Central Pacific	$3,853
39	Kenya	East Africa	$3,875
40	Cameroon	Central Africa	$3,955
41	Papua New Guinea	Southwestern Pacific	$3,983
42	Kyrgyzstan	Central Asia	$4,056
43	Sudan	North Africa	$4,072
44	Zambia	Central Africa	$4,148
45	Tuvalu	Oceania	$4,277
46	Cote d’Ivoire	West Africa	$4,457
47	Mauritania	Northern Africa	$4,881
48	Bangladesh	East Asia	$5,028
49	Timor-Leste	Asia	$5,254
50	Nicaragua	Central America	$5,290
51	Honduras	Central America	$5,385
52	Djibouti	East Africa	$5,568
53	Pakistan	South Asia	$5,872
54	Nigeria	West Africa	$6,055
55	Samoa	Oceania	$6,152
56	Ghana	West Africa	$6,452
57	Tonga	Oceania	$6,486
58	Myanmar	Southeast Asia	$6,707
59	The Republic Of Congo	Central Africa	$7,174
60	Angola	Central Africa	$6,752
61	Moldova	Eastern Europe	$7,703
62	Cape Verde	West Africa	$7,729
63	Vietnam	Southeast Asia	$8,066
64	Laos	Southeast Asia	$8,110
65	Bolivia	South America	$8,172
66	El Salvador	Central America	$8,313
67	India	Southern Asia	$8,378
68	Belize	Central America	$8,664
69	Guatemala	Central America	$8,705
70	Nauru	Pacific Ocean	$8,999
71	Uzbekistan	Central Asia	$9,000
72	Guyana	Central America	$9,094
73	Morocco	North Africa	$9,235
74	Libya	North Africa	$9,358
75	Philippines	Southeast Asia	$9,471
76	Jordan	Middle East	$9,649
77	Jamaica	Caribbean	$9,692
78	Ukraine	Eastern Europe	$9,775
79	Bhutan	South Asia	$9,876
80	Armenia	Asia	$11,083
81	Eswatini	Southern Africa	$11,161
82	Namibia	Southern Africa	$11,266
83	Ecuador	South America	$11,743
84	Dominica	Caribbean	$12,008
85	Fiji	Oceania	$12,1147
86	Georgia	Eastern Europe	$12,227
87	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Caribbean	$12,454
88	Tunisia	North Africa	$12,661
89	Paraguay	South America	$13,584
90	South Africa	Southern Africa	$13,754
91	Sri Lanka	Southern Asia	$13,897
92	Albania	Eastern Europe	$13,897
93	Indonesia	Southeast Asia	$13,998
94	Egypt	North Africa	$14,023
95	Bosnia And Herzegovina	Eastern Europe	$14,220
96	Mongolia	East Asia	$14,309
97	Saint Lucia	Eastern Caribbean	$14,492
98	Peru	South America	$14,719
99	Lebanon	Middle East	$15,049
100	Colombia	South America	$15,541

Closing

This list of the poorest countries in the world brings to the fore front the association between poverty and war. Most of these countries are still socially unstable, while others have long and bloody wars in their recent history.

While war can be ended and replaced with peace; but the damage it does is not easily reversed. Countries need decades to gradually build up their infrastructure until they can be attractive to investors who will create jobs, and take the people out of poverty.