Top 10 Poorest Countries in the World

South Sudan, Burundi and the Central African Republic are among the bottom 10 countries by gross national income per capita (PPP) in 2024. These countries face serious challenges such as political instability, armed conflict or natural disasters, which hinder economic growth and progress, leading to widespread poverty rates and lack of infrastructure.

Poverty remains a serious problem in most countries in 2024, but is concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. Natural disasters, political unrest, and conflict are causing severe hardship in countries with the lowest gross national income (GNI) per capita at current purchasing power parity.

In contrast, these countries, despite having comparable natural resource endowments, can barely provide basic welfare and better services to their citizens. In order to cover multiple countries in this article, here are the ten countries with the lowest poverty levels; the circumstances that led them to poverty and why they face huge challenges to get out of free income.

The world’s ten poorest countries, based on gross national income (GNI) per capita adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) in 2024, are as follows:

  • South Sudan, the youngest country, has faced ongoing conflict and political instability since its independence in 2011, severely limiting economic growth and development.
  • Burundi faces political unrest and economic instability, and relies heavily on subsistence agriculture, which has hampered its economic development.
  • Central African Republic – $1,123
  • The Central African Republic has been affected by long-standing conflict and political instability, which has hampered its economic development and infrastructure development.
  • Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) – $1,570
  • Despite its rich natural resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo is plagued by high poverty rates, malnutrition and political instability.

  • Mozambique’s economic challenges are exacerbated by natural disasters and a lack of infrastructure, which has hampered its development.

  • Malawi’s economy is mainly agricultural and suffers from food shortages and high poverty rates.

  • Niger is grappling with sectarian conflict and climate change, which has left a significant portion of its population living below the poverty line.

  • Although Chad has oil resources, local conflicts and lack of infrastructure have worsened its economic situation.

  • Liberia continues to recover from civil war and faces challenges in governance and economic stability.

  • Madagascar is politically unstable and vulnerable to climate disasters, which affect its economic growth and poverty levels.

The following table lists the world’s 10 poorest countries by 2024 GNI (PPP) per capita:

rank

nation

Gross national income per capita (PPP)

1

South Sudan

$455

2

Burundi

$916

3

Central African Republic (CAR)

$1,123

4

Democratic Republic of the Congo

USD 1,570

5

Mozambique

USD 1,650

6

Malawi

$1,710

7

Niger

$1,730

8

Chad

$1,860

9

Liberia

USD 1,880

10

Madagascar

$1,979

The economic problems of the world’s poorest countries also have political, social and environmental roots. South Sudan, Burundi and a number of other countries on the list face huge obstacles in reaching their potential.

To address these ills, sustained international assistance and investments in infrastructure are needed, as well as effective governance capable of long-term planning in building clean water systems or improving public health insurance coverage.