The Poorest Countries In The World
According to the World Bank & International Monetary Fund, Burundi is the poorest country in the world. The average Burundian makes $1,000 annually, and only about half of the population can read and write.
The country’s history has been complicated. Burundi was colonized by Germany and Belgium until 1962 when it became independent from Belgium. In 1972 it experienced a civil war between Hutus and Tutsis, which resulted in the deaths of 100,000 people.
Poverty affects nearly half of all children under 18 years old in Burundi. Many children are orphaned due to violence and disease, which causes them to leave school and enter the workforce at an early age. Children who do make it through elementary school often drop out before they reach high school due to financial constraints or a lack of interest in obtaining higher education.
In addition to poverty, Burundi faces other challenges such as food insecurity, poor health care systems, weak governance institutions, high unemployment rates and low access to clean water and sanitation facilities, among others.
The Poorest Countries In The World 2022
The list of the poorest countries in the world has been compiled by using a number of factors including GDP per capita, life expectancy at birth and infant mortality rate.
Rank | Country | GDP (PPP)(US$) |
1 | Burundi | 856 |
2 | South Sudan | 928 |
3 | The central African Republic | 1,102 |
4 | The Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,316 |
5 | Somalia | 1,322 |
6 | Niger | 1,435 |
7 | Mozambique | 1,439 |
8 | Malawi | 1,603 |
9 | Chad | 1,705 |
10 | Madagascar | 1,778 |
11 | Liberia | 1,779 |
12 | Sierra Leone | 1,958 |
13 | Yemen | 2,078 |
14 | Eritrea | 2,101 |
15 | Kiribati | 2,148 |
16 | Solomon Islands | 2,385 |
17 | Zimbabwe | 2,523 |
18 | Mali | 2,575 |
19 | Togo | 2,599 |
20 | The Gambia | 2,646 |
21 | Burkina Faso | 2,663 |
22 | Guinea-Bissau | 2,784 |
23 | Rwanda | 2,808 |
24 | Vanuatu | 2,851 |
25 | Uganda | 2,961 |
26 | Guinea | 3,029 |
27 | Lesotho | 3,034 |
28 | Haiti | 3,189 |
29 | Timor-Leste | 3,339 |
30 | Comoros | 3,355 |
31 | Tanzania | 3,358 |
32 | Ethiopia | 3,407 |
33 | Micronesia | 3,650 |
34 | Zambia | 3,776 |
35 | Senegal | 4,093 |
36 | Benin | 4,137 |
37 | Marshall Islands | 4,192 |
38 | Papua New Guinea | 4,299 |
39 | Cameroon | 4,398 |
40 | Sudan | 4,442 |
41 | Republic of Congo | 4,578 |
42 | Nepal | 4,578 |
43 | Tajikistan | 4,630 |
44 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 4,681 |
45 | Myanmar | 4,776 |
46 | Cambodia | 5,493 |
47 | Kyrgyz Republic | 5,562 |
48 | Tuvalu | 5,798 |
49 | Nigeria | 5,853 |
50 | Samoa | 5,935 |
- GDP (PPP) means gross domestic product based on purchasing power parity.
- Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook April 2022.
When it comes to the poorest countries in the world, there’s a lot to consider. The World Bank uses several factors to determine these rankings, including gross national income (GNI) per capita as well as purchasing power parity (PPP). Other factors include life expectancy, infant mortality rates, and school enrollment rates.
Take a look at these countries that made the list for 2022.
Central African Republic (CAR)
This country has been through numerous conflicts within its borders since 2002 when civil war broke out between two factions within its cabinet: one Christian-led group and another Muslim-led faction led by Jean-Pierre Bemba, who was later convicted of crimes against humanity. The violence has continued since then with no end in sight until now. The current president has been trying to bring peace back into his country but it’s still not safe yet due to ongoing conflict between Christians and Muslims in neighbouring countries such as Sudan or Chad where refugees are fleeing from CAR for safety reasons due to what happened during their own conflict years ago between these two groups.
The Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has suffered from decades-long civil wars that have claimed millions of lives and displaced millions more from their homes or countries. In addition, there are several ongoing conflicts between rebel groups and government forces across DRC’s provinces which have worsened an already dire humanitarian situation for many civilians living there today.
South Sudan
South Sudan is one of the newest countries in the world, having gained independence from Sudan in 2011. The country has experienced civil war since its inception, and poverty rates have risen sharply as a result.
The List of Poorest Countries In The World 2018
Rank | Country | GDP Per Capita |
1 | The central African Republic | 652 |
2 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 773 |
3 | Burundi | 814 |
4 | Liberia | 855 |
5 | Niger | 1,107 |
6 | Malawi | 1,134 |
7 | Mozambique | 1,215 |
8 | Guinea | 1,265 |
9 | Eritrea | 1,410 |
10 | Madagascar | 1,505 |
11 | Comoros | 1,529 |
12 | Togo | 1,550 |
13 | South Sudan | 1,657 |
14 | The Gambia | 1,667 |
15 | Sierra Leone | 1,672 |
16 | Guinea-Bissau | 1,730 |
17 | Burkina Faso | 1,782 |
18 | Haiti | 1,784 |
19 | Kiribati | 1,823 |
20 | Afghanistan | 1,919 |
21 | Ethiopia | 1,946 |
22 | Zimbabwe | 1,970 |
23 | Solomon Islands | 1,973 |
24 | Rwanda | 1,977 |
25 | Uganda | 2,068 |