Poorest Countries In The World

Last updated May 23, 2025

Gross Domestic Product Per Capita
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Gross Domestic Product Per CapitaQuestion Mark
1.SomaliaSomalia$73
2.BurundiBurundi$217
3.MalawiMalawi$254
4.NigerNiger$277
5.Central African RepublicCentral African Republic$315
6.MozambiqueMozambique$322
7.GambiaGambia$356
8.MadagascarMadagascar$370
9.DR CongoDR Congo$394
10.Sierra LeoneSierra Leone$418
11.AfghanistanAfghanistan$479
12.TogoTogo$491
13.Burkina FasoBurkina Faso$503
14.LiberiaLiberia$509
15.UgandaUganda$521
16.Guinea BissauGuinea Bissau$522
17.EthiopiaEthiopia$556
18.South SudanSouth Sudan$589
19.GuineaGuinea$597
20.MaliMali$601
21.RwandaRwanda$601
22.ChadChad$616
23.North KoreaNorth Korea$642
24.BeninBenin$649
25.HaitiHaiti$652
26.NepalNepal$677
27.TajikistanTajikistan$685
28.YemenYemen$737
29.SenegalSenegal$822
30.SyriaSyria$954
31.MauritaniaMauritania$960
32.LesothoLesotho$962
33.ZimbabweZimbabwe$968
34.KyrgyzstanKyrgyzstan$973
35.ZambiaZambia$1.0K
36.CameroonCameroon$1.1K
37.PakistanPakistan$1.2K
38.CambodiaCambodia$1.2K
39.MyanmarMyanmar$1.2K
40.GhanaGhana$1.3K
41.Ivory CoastIvory Coast$1.3K
42.Republic of the CongoRepublic of the Congo$1.3K
43.BangladeshBangladesh$1.3K
44.KenyaKenya$1.3K
45.KiribatiKiribati$1.3K
46.ComorosComoros$1.3K
47.EritreaEritrea$1.4K
48.Sao Tome and PrincipeSao Tome and Principe$1.5K
49.Solomon IslandsSolomon Islands$1.5K
50.IndiaIndia$1.6K
51.DjiboutiDjibouti$1.7K
52.SudanSudan$1.7K
53.NigeriaNigeria$1.8K
54.NicaraguaNicaragua$1.9K
55.Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea$1.9K
56.UzbekistanUzbekistan$1.9K
57.MoldovaMoldova$2.0K
58.Timor LesteTimor Leste$2.0K
59.HondurasHonduras$2.0K
60.LaosLaos$2.1K
61.VietnamVietnam$2.1K
62.EgyptEgypt$2.4K
63.PalestinePalestine$2.5K
64.VanuatuVanuatu$2.5K
65.UkraineUkraine$2.5K
66.PhilippinesPhilippines$2.6K
67.BoliviaBolivia$2.7K
68.Cape VerdeCape Verde$2.7K
69.MoroccoMorocco$2.7K
70.BhutanBhutan$2.8K
71.MicronesiaMicronesia$2.9K
72.AngolaAngola$2.9K
73.TuvaluTuvalu$3.2K
74.MongoliaMongolia$3.2K
75.EswatiniEswatini$3.3K
76.TunisiaTunisia$3.3K
77.IndonesiaIndonesia$3.4K
78.JordanJordan$3.4K
79.AlgeriaAlgeria$3.5K
80.IraqIraq$3.5K
81.AzerbaijanAzerbaijan$3.6K
82.SamoaSamoa$3.6K
83.Sri LankaSri Lanka$3.7K
84.TongaTonga$3.7K
85.GuatemalaGuatemala$3.8K
86.ArmeniaArmenia$3.8K
87.GeorgiaGeorgia$3.8K
88.ParaguayParaguay$4.0K
89.AlbaniaAlbania$4.2K
90.NamibiaNamibia$4.2K
91.El SalvadorEl Salvador$4.2K
92.GuyanaGuyana$4.2K
93.BelizeBelize$4.2K
94.Marshall IslandsMarshall Islands$4.4K
95.IranIran$4.8K
96.South AfricaSouth Africa$4.9K
97.JamaicaJamaica$5.0K
98.FijiFiji$5.0K
99.BelarusBelarus$5.0K
100.North MacedoniaNorth Macedonia$5.2K
101.SurinameSuriname$5.3K
102.Bosnia and HerzegovinaBosnia and Herzegovina$5.3K
103.SerbiaSerbia$5.4K
104.EcuadorEcuador$5.4K
105.ColombiaColombia$5.4K
106.TurkmenistanTurkmenistan$5.6K
107.PeruPeru$5.6K
108.ThailandThailand$5.7K
109.GabonGabon$5.7K
110.BotswanaBotswana$5.8K
111.Equatorial GuineaEquatorial Guinea$6.2K
112.LibyaLibya$6.2K
113.Dominican RepublicDominican Republic$6.3K
114.KazakhstanKazakhstan$6.9K
115.MontenegroMontenegro$7.0K
116.Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesSaint Vincent and the Grenadines$7.4K
117.Saint LuciaSaint Lucia$7.8K
118.ChinaChina$7.9K
119.BulgariaBulgaria$8.0K
120.DominicaDominica$8.0K
121.CubaCuba$8.0K
122.GrenadaGrenada$8.1K
123.NauruNauru$8.1K
124.MaldivesMaldives$8.1K
125.BrazilBrazil$8.3K
126.MexicoMexico$8.4K
127.RussiaRussia$8.6K
128.MalaysiaMalaysia$8.6K
129.RomaniaRomania$9.4K
130.MauritiusMauritius$9.4K
131.LebanonLebanon$9.4K
132.TurkeyTurkey$10.1K
133.VenezuelaVenezuela$10.1K
134.Costa RicaCosta Rica$11.0K
135.PolandPoland$11.5K
136.ArgentinaArgentina$11.9K
137.PanamaPanama$12.4K
138.HungaryHungary$12.4K
139.ChileChile$12.6K
140.CroatiaCroatia$12.8K
141.SeychellesSeychelles$13.3K
142.OmanOman$13.6K
143.MontserratMontserrat$14.1K
144.LatviaLatvia$15.1K
145.UruguayUruguay$15.3K
146.Antigua and BarbudaAntigua and Barbuda$15.5K
147.SlovakiaSlovakia$15.5K
148.Trinidad and TobagoTrinidad and Tobago$15.7K
149.LithuaniaLithuania$15.7K
150.CyprusCyprus$15.9K
151.BarbadosBarbados$16.1K
152.CuracaoCuracao$16.3K
153.Cook IslandsCook Islands$17.0K
154.PalauPalau$17.2K
155.Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia$17.3K
156.French PolynesiaFrench Polynesia$17.5K
157.EstoniaEstonia$17.6K
158.Czech RepublicCzech Republic$18.6K
159.GreeceGreece$18.6K
160.Saint Kitts and NevisSaint Kitts and Nevis$19.1K
161.Turks and Caicos IslandsTurks and Caicos Islands$19.9K
162.PortugalPortugal$20.0K
163.MaltaMalta$20.6K
164.SloveniaSlovenia$21.1K
165.AnguillaAnguilla$21.2K
166.BahrainBahrain$21.7K
167.ArubaAruba$25.1K
168.BruneiBrunei$25.2K
169.KuwaitKuwait$25.6K
170.SpainSpain$26.0K
171.South KoreaSouth Korea$27.3K
172.BahamasBahamas$27.3K
173.British Virgin IslandsBritish Virgin Islands$30.8K
174.ItalyItaly$31.6K
175.Puerto RicoPuerto Rico$32.2K
176.New CaledoniaNew Caledonia$32.2K
177.IsraelIsrael$34.6K
178.AndorraAndorra$35.7K
179.New ZealandNew Zealand$35.9K
180.United Arab EmiratesUnited Arab Emirates$36.6K
181.FranceFrance$38.1K
182.United KingdomUnited Kingdom$39.1K
183.CanadaCanada$39.4K
184.JapanJapan$40.0K
185.BelgiumBelgium$40.0K
186.GreenlandGreenland$40.3K
187.GermanyGermany$41.8K
188.Hong KongHong Kong$42.8K
189.FinlandFinland$43.0K
190.AustriaAustria$43.6K
191.NetherlandsNetherlands$44.1K
192.San MarinoSan Marino$47.3K
193.SwedenSweden$48.5K
194.AustraliaAustralia$49.3K
195.SingaporeSingapore$49.4K
196.DenmarkDenmark$51.9K
197.IcelandIceland$54.0K
198.United StatesUnited States$54.8K
199.Cayman IslandsCayman Islands$55.5K
200.QatarQatar$56.1K
201.IrelandIreland$60.3K
202.MacauMacau$64.3K
203.NorwayNorway$67.8K
204.SwitzerlandSwitzerland$76.0K
205.LuxembourgLuxembourg$89.5K
206.BermudaBermuda$95.6K
207.LiechtensteinLiechtenstein$156.5K
208.MonacoMonaco$178.2K

Poverty Across the Globe

Inequality is one of the most pressing issues across the globe, with a significant focus on the world's absolute poorest nations. This investigation into the world's poorest countries paints a sobering picture of the disparities in wealth and prospects that exist between different regions. This analysis is crucial as it helps to inform policy decisions, charitable strategies, and helps to draw attention to those most in need. Based on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita, data indicates the critical economic challenges faced by numerous countries worldwide. It's important to note that while GDP per capita is an valuable measure of a country's economic prosperity, it does not necessarily reflect the overall standard of living or the distribution of wealth within a country. Key findings from our analysis include:

  • The country with the lowest GDP per capita worldwide is Somalia, with a surprisingly low average of $73 per capita, indicating the country's dire economic situation.
  • Unfortunately, African nations dominate the list of the poorest countries in the world, with Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Niger, and Central African Republic among the lowest-ranking countries based on GDP per capita.
  • Even within this group, significant disparities exist. For example, the GDP per capita of Burundi, one of the poorest countries, is nearly three times higher than that of Somalia.
  • Contrastingly, nations like Monaco and Liechtenstein boasted the world's highest GDP - at a staggering $178,200 and $156,500 respectively.
  • While South Asia and Southeast Asia have seen rapid economic growth in recent years, countries like Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Nepal remain among the world's poorest. This examination of global distribution of wealth underscores the continued importance of focusing on sustainable economic development, particularly in countries at the lower end of the GDP per capita scale. Leveraging such data is crucial to developing informed strategies aimed at reducing poverty and promoting economic growth globally.

10 Poorest Countries in the World

Topping the list is Somalia, with an alarmingly low GDP per capita of just $73. Stationed in the Horn of Africa, this nation grapples with political instability and recurrent droughts that starkly affect its economic performance. The second poorest nation is Burundi, with a GDP per capita of $217. Located in the African Great Lakes region, it suffers from a volatile political environment, intersecting with extreme poverty, food security issues, and limited access to education and health services. Next, Malawi experiences a GDP per capita of $254. It is a low-income, heavily reliant on agriculture, which is vulnerable to weather-related shocks and leads to periodic subsistence crises. The fourth and fifth poorest nations are Niger and the Central African Republic, with respective GDP per capita of $277 and $315. They portray a grim picture of economic deprivation aggravated by hostile climates, conflict, and unstable governance. Mozambique, with a GDP per capita of $322, ranks sixth. It battles problems like high disease burden, low educational attainment, and climate-driven crises. Gambia, with $356 per capita, faces similar socio-economic challenges. Meanwhile, Madagascar ($370 per capita) and DR Congo ($394 per capita) face complex challenges from pervasive poverty, political instability, and environmental challenges. Sierra Leone closes the list of the ten poorest nations with a GDP per capita of $418, grappling with the long-term effects of war, Ebola outbreak, and ongoing economic and health challenges.

10 Poorest Countries in the World:

  1. Somalia - $73
  2. Burundi - $217
  3. Malawi - $254
  4. Niger - $277
  5. Central African Republic - $315
  6. Mozambique - $322
  7. Gambia - $356
  8. Madagascar - $370
  9. DR Congo - $394
  10. Sierra Leone - $418
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