Top 10 Poorest Countries In the World 

The gross world product (GWP) is the combined gross national income of all the countries in the world. In 2017, according to the CIA's World Factbook, the GWP was around the US $80.27 trillion in nominal terms and totalled roughly 127.8 trillion international dollars in terms of purchasing power parity. The per capita PPP GWP in 2017 was around Int$17,500 according to the World Factbook. This wealth is sufficient to afford a basic standard of living for the entire human race. Still, people in countries like Burundi and South Sudan can't afford food.

GDP per capita is assumed as an important method to compare poor and wealthy countries. While GDP per capita is always considered the standard metric, paying for differences in living costs and rates of inflation. The International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Central Intelligence Agency all rank countries by their per-capita GDPs. We are indexing countries not only by their GNI but also by the life expectancy at birth and their human development index (HDI) value. 

Surprisingly, The world's poorest countries suffered from the same problems including disease, war and conflict, climate change, and extreme weather patterns like drought. Also history of exploitative colonization, lack of infrastructure, hostile, aggressive neighbours affecting in development of the country. Now COVID-19 making bad situations worse. Dictatorial and corrupt governments can make very rich nations into poor one like Venezuela. These problems keeping countries trapped in cycles of poverty. 

Nearly all of the world's poorest countries are in Africa, though Haiti, Tajikistan, Yemen, and Afghanistan are notable exceptions. The poorest country in the world is Burundi, with a GDP per capita of $264.

Scroll through to see all Top 10 Poorest Countries In the World :-

10. Niger :-

The United Nations Human Development Index ranked Niger as the second least-developed of 188 countries. Global Finance Magazine ranked Niger 7th among the twenty-three poorest countries in the world. Two out of three residents live below the poverty line and more than 40 percent of the population earn less than $1 a day.

Endless floods, droughts, and
temperature spikes attributed to climate change caused a intense food crisis compounded by water shortages.
Civil war, terror, illness, disease, poverty and hunger plague Niger. Hunger is one of the most crucial problems the population encounters daily. Niger is facing a water crisis impacting nearly 10 million people. Repetitive climate shocks have left the country incapable to produce enough food for its ever-growing population. Also the land becomes further divided with each generation.

Nigerien government has made efforts to boost the economy by extracting gold, uranium and oil. Niger faces serious challenges to development due to its landlocked position, desert terrain, inefficient agriculture, high fertility rates without birth control and resulting overpopulation, the poor educational level and poverty of its people, lack of infrastructure, poor healthcare, and environmental degradation.

9. Sierra Leone :-

Sierra Leone lacks significant development as a country, ranking 181 out of 189 on the 2019 Human Development Index. According to the United Nations Development Programme, approximately 60 percent of Sierra Leoneans living below the national poverty line. Around 70 percent of youth are unemployed.

Sierra Leone’s harsh levels of poverty: government corruption, a lack of an established education system, lack of civil rights and poor infrastructure. These factors make poverty difficult to defeat. With the unestablished infrastructure for roads and electricity, high transportation costs pose barriers to trade and hinder economic growth. Since establishing independence in 1961, Sierra Leone, a country located in West Africa, has suffered from various conflicts and injustices including a civil war that lasted from 1991 to 2002. Sierra Leone has been a nation plagued with civil wars and poverty since gaining independence in 1961.

Despite being one of the few countries in the world that has precious natural resources such as diamonds and rare minerals. Because infrastructure is extremely weak, transport costs are very high to get supplies and products from one area to another. The nation continues to be one of the poorest nation in the world. Lack of education has also been a contributing factor to the persistent poverty within Sierra Leone. Agriculture provides employment for about 75 percent of the quickly growing population, but its continuation is endangered by inefficient farming techniques and climate degradation. 

8. Madagascar :-

Madagascar is ranked 149 out of 175 counties. The average Malagasy makes around $1 US per day. 

Corruption in Madagascar is extremely costly to developing economies. Corruption breeds poorly performing economies by discouraging private sector development, hindering foreign investors, undermining government credibility, and obstructing poverty aid. 

Lack of investment in sustainable industries has retarded Madagascar's economic development significantly.
Madagascar's children lack an adequate educational system. Being poor makes it difficult for the government to spend much on education.

7. Afghanistan :-

Despite an influx of international aid, 39 percent of Afghans live in poverty, and this number is increasing. 

Rural Afghanistan is poor due to its dependence on agriculture and informal labor markets. Low investments and natural disasters have damage the agriculture market that most Afghans depend on for employment. Natural resources essential for successful agriculture are lacking in Afghanistan. Compared to its population, there is little farmable land. 

War is one of the most significant causes of poverty in Afghanistan. Decades of war have demolished economic and political institutions. In 1979, the invasion of the Soviet Union gave birth to insurgent groups such as Mujahedeen and Al Qaeda, who intensely resisted the Soviet backed government in the late 1980s. The Soviets retreated in 1989, and rival militia groups fought for power during a series of successive civil wars.

6. Central African Republic :-

The Central African Republic is a landlocked country in Africa,
neighboring Chad, Sudan, Cameroon and more. Nearly 71% of the Central African Republic’s population lives below the international poverty line. Life expectancy in the Central African Republic is among the lowest in the world. As of 2020, it is only 53.35 years. The literacy rate in the Central African Republic is also one of the lowest in the world, at 37.4%.

After CAR achieved independence from France in 1960, it had religious clashes, a variety of ethnic groups and multiple political ideologies. Dispute between different religious and social groups as well as competition over resources caused extensive instability throughout the country. Following chaos and political turmoil, which has left more than 2.5 million people in need of humanitarian aid.

The leading causes of deaths in the Central African Republic include tuberculosis, diarrheal diseases, HIV/AIDS and malaria. Although CAR has an abundance of natural resources, including gold, diamonds, uranium and oil, it is one of the poorest nations in the world.

5. Democratic Republic of the Congo :-

United Nations Human Development Index (HDI) DR Congo is ranked 175th out of the 189 countries recorded. It is estimated that 73% of the Congolese population, equaling 60 million people, lived on less than $1.90 a day. Its citizens make, on average, only $800 per year, and 63% live under the poverty line. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the richest countries in the world in terms of natural resources. It stands on an approximate $24 trillion worth of natural resources, including 3.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, large deposits of iron ore, platinum, diamonds, gold and uranium, as well as 1,06,270 km² of arable land. Because lack of infrastructure in rural areas, as well as the collapse of infrastructure due to fighting, these natural resources doesn't benefit countries.

Instability from years of wars and political turmoil is one of the most significant causes of poverty in the DRC, while poverty and youth unemployment has provoked conflicts. Disease is another central cause of poverty in the DRC. Major diseases such as cholera, hepatitis A,
polio, measles and typhoid fever continue to run rampant. 1.2% of the Congolese are affected by HIV/AIDS. Water shortages also play an integral role in severe food shortages. The lack of infrastructure in rural areas, as well as the collapse of infrastructure due to fighting, have left the majority of the Congolese without access to clean water sources.

4. Mozambique :-

In Mozambique, poverty remains high, with HDI of 0.322 HDI with up to 46.1% of the population living below the national poverty line. War, disease and even natural disasters also contribute to the country’s high poverty levels. Mozambique is a vibrant and beautiful country in Southeastern Africa with a population of nearly 30 million people.

After achieving independence in 1975, Mozambique destroyed during the Mozambican Civil War. The civil war that lasted for a total of 16 years
superseded nearly five million people and driving up the rate of poverty in Mozambique. Although the war ended in 1992, violence and instability greatly set back the nation’s economic development. Although there is an enormous potential for agriculture, most of the land in the region remains largely untapped; this instance is due to the lack of appropriate supports and agricultural technologies. Also currently 11 percent of people within the country have the HIV/AIDS virus.

The nation has abundant natural resources and its coastal location gives strategic access to the maritime economy. The country is incredibly prone to natural disasters and encounters an average of one large-scale disaster every year. In 2019, two strong tropical cyclones hit Mozambique only six weeks apart from one another. Mozambique’s economy slowed in 2019 due to a declining coal industry and infrastructure damage from cyclones.

3. Malawi :-

About 50.7% population living under poverty line with HDI of 0.483, Malawi is one of poorest country in the world. Crashed with disease, plagued by droughts and floods, doomed through geographical location and deceived by corrupt officials, Malawi has been given no chance to grow and no chance to thrive. 

Malawi’s economic productivity depends heavily on agriculture, which relies heavily on the weather. The climate in Malawi has been anything but generous. To make matters worse, the disclosure of the dangers of tobacco in the west and the following decrease in usage has seen Malawi’s leading crop become less and less lucrative. Effects of poverty in Malawi include problems with the agricultural sector and diseases. 

Weather-related difficulties often shock rural communities, falling them deeper into poverty. Droughts are the root of the largest harm in the agricultural sector. When a drought occurs, there is a substantial fall in crop production and sometimes crop failure happens. Lower crop outputs are common in following farming seasons after a drought.
Farmers have harvests that are not large enough to sustain their communities. This causes food shortages.

2. South Sudan :-

About 66% population living below poverty line in South Sudan and HDI of 0.433, South Sudan is plagued by poverty. The landlocked country is isolated from foreign investors. Poor roads make the country impenetrable during the rainy season. According to The World Food Program, it only get three-month to provide 100,000 tons of food before the rains come and make many areas inaccessible.

The world’s newest country is still developing government infrastructure. Between 1955 and 2005, Sudan was engulfed in a brutal civil war, which left countless dead and homeless. After a failed peace agreement, South Sudan seceded from the north in 2011. However, fighting broke out in the country in 2013 and continues till date.

The new government is wracked by division and as a result does not have the ability to build roads, provide basic education or ensure the welfare of its constituents. Moreover, funds and resources are often directed into certain areas while others are ignored.

1. Burundi :-

Burundi poverty rate is 64.9 % and with HDI of 0.433, Burundi is suffering by overpopulation, civil wars. The economy of Burundi is heavily dependent on agriculture, which accounts for 32.9% of GDP. Burundi itself is a landlocked, resource-poor country with an underdeveloped manufacturing sector.

Agriculture supports more than 70% of the labour force, the majority of whom are farmers. Although Burundi is potentially self-sufficient in food production, the ongoing civil turmoil, overpopulation, and soil erosion have contributed to the reduction of the economy. Burundi has been involved in a cycle of civil wars since they achieved independence from Belgium in 1962. The nation has recorded five episodes of civil war that have claimed more than 500,000 lives and have produced about a million refugees. This cycle of war has created an extremely dangerous political environment. The latest two civil wars—one from 1993-2005 and another in 2015, crippled Burundi’s economy.

War has also obstructed manufacturing. For example, the 1993-2005 civil war caused manufacturing production to decline by an average of 13 percent per year between 1993 and 1997. Burundi is landlocked, and its population is continually increasing. Land is the greatest source of conflict in Burundi. With a fast-growing population and too little land to house them all, resources and livelihoods are more difficult to acquire and enhance.

Burundi has suffered from an unusually high number of natural disasters. Droughts, rain and floods have been particularly fatal in recent years. Disasters have contributed to the banishment of communities; the devastation of homes and the further fall in food and nourishment security. Other effects of the disasters include decreases in land productivity and an increase in crop insects.