Top 10 poorest countries in the world

The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, Yemen, and others are among the poorest countries in the world with low per capita GDP. It is not surprising that many of these countries are located in Africa.

With a per capita GDP of only 468 USD, the Democratic Republic of Congo was the poorest country in the world in 2018. Despite its rich natural resources, political instability and conflict have severely devastated this nation. (Image source: Value Walk).

Second on this list is another African country – Mozambique, with an estimated per capita GDP of only 486 USD last year. Weak infrastructure, lack of basic services, and inadequate agricultural machinery have hindered the economic growth of this nation.

Uganda ranks as the third poorest country in the world, with a per capita GDP of 738 USD. However, Focus Economics predicts that the economy of this country will grow by 5.8% in 2019.

Tajikistan has a per capita GDP of 836 USD in 2018. It is reported that the economy of this country has gradually improved in recent years since the end of its civil war in 1997.

The per capita GDP of Haiti is 874 USD. According to the World Bank, about 90% of Haiti’s population lives in areas vulnerable to natural disasters and harsh weather conditions. Extreme poverty is the main reason why the people of Haiti have to create mud cakes to survive. The cakes are light brown, round, and resemble pottery. The ingredients include vegetable shortening, dry yellow mud, a bit of salt, mixed well, shaped into rounds, and then placed on a thin cloth to be “baked” directly in the sun. Locals call this dish “Galette”. In Haiti, where two-thirds of the population lives on less than 2 USD a day, mud cakes are a common choice. They became a staple food for the poor when global food prices peaked in 2008. At that time, images of Haitian women drying this food in the sun shocked the world. Due to soaring food prices, the impoverished people of this country had no choice but to turn to… mud to keep their stomachs from growling with hunger. It can be said that Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

According to the World Bank, more than 55% of the population of Ethiopia lived below the poverty line in 2000. However, this figure has decreased to 33.5% in 2011 due to impressive economic growth. The per capita GDP of this country in 2018 was 998 USD.

According to Focus Economics, Yemen had a per capita GDP of 998 USD in 2018. This Middle Eastern country has been severely devastated by war in recent years and is currently facing a serious humanitarian crisis.

The per capita GDP of Uzbekistan last year was approximately 1,026 USD.

Although Tanzania has experienced economic growth of 6-7% over the past decade, its per capita GDP remains among the lowest in the world. The per capita GDP of Tanzania in 2018 was 1,112 USD.