What does it mean to live in a poor country? It means death, living the most miserable life in the whole world and facing all the problems that you may imagine which makes you feel that you are dead and not alive. Being poor, especially for countries, does not just mean lack of money as there are other problems that result from the absence of resources and lack of money such as corruption, bad health care, low incomes, bad education, lowest standards of living, high crime rate, diseases, civil wars and high unemployment rates which forces the residents of such poor countries to leave their homes and immigrate looking for other countries in which they can live a better life. This does not necessarily mean that all the people in the poor countries move to rich countries to enjoy a luxurious life, but they just look for the place that can satisfy their essential and simplest needs without which they may die. The criterion that is usually used for ranking the poor and rich countries in the world is the GDP (PPP) per capita. There are also other criteria and estimations that are used for ranking these countries and this is why the lists that show the poor and rich countries usually differ in the countries that are presented and their ranking. Let’s discover more about the poorest countries in the world and their miserable residents through taking a look at the following top 10 poorest countries in the world which are ranked on the basis of their GDP (PPP) per capita.
10. Togo – $1,390
It is the richest country on this list since it is ranked as the 10th poorest country in the world with a GDP (PPP) per capita of $1,390. Togo is located in West Africa and its capital city is Lomé. The country has a total population of about 7.15 million and one half of them lives below the international poverty line. The country’s economy is chiefly based on phosphate and agricultural products such as cotton, coffee and cocoa.
9. Guinea – $1,321
It is the 9th poorest country in the world since its GDP (PPP) per capita is estimated to be approximately $1,321. Guinea is located in West Africa and its capital city is Conakry. The country has a total population of about 10.06 million people and they suffer from corruption, bad infrastructure and poverty although the country in which they live has diamonds, gold and other precious metals. The economy of the country is mainly based on bauxite and alumina exports and 80% of the labor force in the country work in agriculture.
8. Eritrea – $1,197
The GDP (PPP) per capita in Eritrea is estimated to be $1,197 making the country ranked as the 8th poorest country in the world. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and its capital city is Asmara. The total population in Eritrea is estimated to be approximately 6.54 million people. The bad economic conditions in the country are caused by the Italians and British who colonized the country to benefit from its location and since that time the bad economic conditions are the same and have not improved.
7. Mozambique – $1,046
It is ranked as the 7th poorest country in the world since its GDP (PPP) per capita is estimated to be around $1,046. The country is located in Southeast Africa and its capital city is Maputo. It has a total population of about 23.93 million people making the country ranked among the most populous countries in the world. Agriculture employs about 75% of the population in the country as the economy of the country is mainly based on agriculture.
6. Niger – $984
Niger is located in Western Africa and its capital city is Niamey. It is ranked as the 6th poorest country in the world with a GDP (PPP) per capita of about $984. The total population in Niger is estimated to be approximately 17.14 million people and the economy of the country is chiefly based on agriculture and raw materials such as uranium ore. In addition to poverty, the country suffers also from political instability and inequality.
It is ranked as the 5th poorest country in the world as its GDP (PPP) per capita is estimated to be around $887. The country is located in West Africa and its capital city is Monrovia. The total population in the country is approximately 4.09 million people. The economy of the country relies chiefly on foreign direct investment, foreign aid and natural resources such as rubber, timber and iron ore.
4. Burundi – $877
The GDP (PPP) per capita in Burundi is estimated to be about $877 which makes the country holds the 4th position on the list of the poorest countries in the world. The country is located in Southeast Africa and its capital city is Bujumbura. It has a total population of approximately 8.75 million people. The bad economic conditions in the country are caused by the landlocked geography, bad education, poor legal system, civil wars and the absence of economic freedom. The economy of the country is chiefly based on selling coffee.
3. Malawi – $748
Malawi is the 3rd poorest country in the world since its GDP (PPP) per capita is estimated to be around $748. The country is located in Southeast Africa and its capital city is Lilongwe. The total population of the country is estimated to be approximately 16.41 million people. The country’s economy relies chiefly on agriculture, services and outside aid to meet the growing demands of developing the country.
2. Democratic Republic of the Congo – $655
It is the 2nd poorest country in the world with a very low GDP (PPP) per capita which is estimated to be approximately $655. The country is located in Central Africa and its capital city is Kinshasa. The total population in the country is estimated to be about 77.43 million people making the country ranked as the 19th most populated country in the world.
As a matter of fact, this country deserves to be ranked amongst the richest countries in the world thanks to the abundance of natural resources that it has. The country has 70% of coltan, 30% of diamond reserves, a tenth of copper and a third of cobalt in the world but all of these resources and deposits are untapped. The country’s economy is heavily based on minerals.
1. Central African Republic – $604
Here is the poorest country in the world that holds the 1st position on this list with the lowest GDP (PPP) per capita in the world that is estimated to be $604. The country is located in Central Africa and its capital city is Bangui. The total population of the country is estimated to be around 4.71 million people. The economy of the country is chiefly based on the diamond exports, wood, minerals, crude oil and agriculture. In spite of the vast natural resources that can be found in the country, it is still ranked as the poorest country in the world and has the poorest people.
