Income/Wages
Poorest Countries in the World 2026
Country | GDP per Capita - World Bank 2024 (current USD)↑ | GDP per Capita 2024 (INT PPP) | GDP 2024 | GNI per Capita Atlas 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Burundi | $154 | $1,195 | $2.16 Bn | $190 |
 | Malawi | $508 | $1,858 | $11.01 Bn | $540 |
 | Central African Republic | $516 | $1,263 | $2.75 Bn | $520 |
 | Madagascar | $545 | $1,884 | $17.42 Bn | $510 |
 | Somalia | $637 | $1,602 | $12.11 Bn | $600 |
 | Mozambique | $647 | $1,705 | $22.42 Bn | $550 |
 | DR Congo | $647 | $1,821 | $70.75 Bn | $640 |
 | Niger | $723 | $2,050 | $19.54 Bn | $660 |
 | Nigeria | $807 | $9,087 | $187.76 Bn | $1,250 |
 | Liberia | $846 | $1,871 | $4.75 Bn | $760 |
 | Sierra Leone | $873 | $3,522 | $7.55 Bn | $840 |
 | Gambia | $909 | $3,476 | $2.51 Bn | $890 |
 | Guinea-Bissau | $963 | $3,119 | $2.12 Bn | $960 |
 | Lesotho | $972 | $3,001 | $2.27 Bn | $1,170 |
 | Burkina Faso | $987 | $2,896 | $23.25 Bn | $880 |
 | Sudan | $989 | $2,116 | $49.91 Bn | $720 |
 | Rwanda | $1,000 | $3,711 | $14.25 Bn | $1,040 |
 | Chad | $1,016 | $2,743 | $20.63 Bn | $970 |
 | Togo | $1,043 | $3,366 | $9.93 Bn | $1,010 |
 | Uganda | $1,073 | $3,273 | $53.65 Bn | $1,020 |
 | Mali | $1,086 | $3,315 | $26.59 Bn | $1,020 |
 | Tanzania | $1,186 | $4,221 | $78.78 Bn | $1,200 |
 | Zambia | $1,235 | $4,215 | $26.33 Bn | $1,260 |
 | Tajikistan | $1,341 | $5,406 | $14.20 Bn | $1,650 |
 | Timor-Leste | $1,343 | $4,423 | $1.88 Bn | $1,560 |
 | Myanmar | $1,359 | $5,998 | $74.08 Bn | $1,220 |
 | Nepal | $1,447 | $5,737 | $42.91 Bn | $1,470 |
 | Pakistan | $1,485 | $6,252 | $373.07 Bn | $1,430 |
 | Benin | $1,485 | $4,435 | $21.48 Bn | $1,430 |
 | Guinea | $1,717 | $4,565 | $25.33 Bn | $1,470 |
 | Senegal | $1,744 | $5,071 | $32.27 Bn | $1,680 |
 | Cameroon | $1,762 | $5,589 | $51.33 Bn | $1,680 |
 | Comoros | $1,784 | $3,959 | $1.55 Bn | $1,690 |
 | Mauritania | $2,083 | $7,369 | $10.77 Bn | $2,090 |
 | Angola | $2,122 | $10,119 | $80.40 Bn | $2,220 |
 | Laos | $2,124 | $9,326 | $16.50 Bn | $2,000 |
 | Haiti | $2,143 | $3,194 | $25.22 Bn | $1,760 |
 | Solomon Islands | $2,149 | $2,675 | $1.76 Bn | $2,080 |
 | Kenya | $2,206 | $6,644 | $124.50 Bn | $2,110 |
 | Kiribati | $2,289 | $3,702 | $307.86 Mn | $3,620 |
 | Ghana | $2,406 | $8,020 | $82.83 Bn | $2,320 |
 | Kyrgyzstan | $2,419 | $8,013 | $17.48 Bn | $2,150 |
 | Republic of the Congo | $2,482 | $7,026 | $15.72 Bn | |
 | Bangladesh | $2,593 | $9,647 | $450.12 Bn | $2,820 |
 | Cambodia | $2,628 | $7,967 | $46.35 Bn | $2,520 |
 | Zimbabwe | $2,656 | $5,928 | $44.19 Bn | $2,260 |
 | India | $2,697 | $11,160 | $3.91 Tn | $2,650 |
 | Ivory Coast | $2,710 | $7,669 | $86.54 Bn | $2,510 |
 | Nicaragua | $2,848 | $8,709 | $19.69 Bn | $2,510 |
 | Papua New Guinea | $3,076 | $4,875 | $32.54 Bn | $2,940 |
 | Uzbekistan | $3,162 | $11,879 | $114.97 Bn | $3,020 |
 | Sao Tome and Principe | $3,245 | $6,242 | $764.27 Mn | $2,770 |
 | Egypt | $3,338 | $19,094 | $389.06 Bn | $3,510 |
 | Honduras | $3,426 | $7,486 | $37.09 Bn | $3,020 |
 | Djibouti | $3,496 | $7,810 | $4.09 Bn | $3,540 |
 | Vanuatu | $3,543 | $3,606 | $1.16 Bn | $3,940 |
 | Eswatini | $3,936 | $11,799 | $4.89 Bn | $3,580 |
 | Philippines | $3,985 | $11,794 | $461.62 Bn | $4,470 |
 | Morocco | $3,993 | $10,415 | $154.43 Bn | $3,760 |
 | Bolivia | $4,001 | $12,878 | $49.67 Bn | $3,690 |
 | Micronesia | $4,166 | $4,347 | $471.43 Mn | $4,250 |
 | Tunisia | $4,350 | $14,521 | $53.41 Bn | $3,900 |
 | Namibia | $4,413 | $11,687 | $13.37 Bn | $4,240 |
 | Sri Lanka | $4,516 | $15,633 | $98.96 Bn | $3,860 |
 | Jordan | $4,618 | $10,822 | $53.35 Bn | $4,430 |
 | Vietnam | $4,717 | $16,386 | $476.39 Bn | $4,490 |
 | Iran | $4,771 | $19,874 | $436.91 Bn | $4,660 |
 | Samoa | $4,899 | $8,737 | $1.07 Bn | $4,650 |
 | Indonesia | $4,925 | $16,448 | $1.40 Tn | $4,910 |
 | Ukraine | $5,389 | $18,551 | $190.74 Bn | $5,220 |
 | El Salvador | $5,580 | $13,264 | $35.36 Bn | $5,120 |
 | Algeria | $5,631 | $17,621 | $263.62 Bn | $5,320 |
 | Iraq | $6,074 | $14,464 | $279.64 Bn | $6,030 |
 | Guatemala | $6,150 | $14,369 | $113.20 Bn | $5,780 |
 | South Africa | $6,253 | $15,456 | $400.26 Bn | $6,100 |
 | Fiji | $6,288 | $15,450 | $5.84 Bn | $5,680 |
 | Libya | $6,318 | $14,304 | $46.64 Bn | $6,310 |
 | Paraguay | $6,416 | $18,524 | $44.46 Bn | $6,290 |
 | Mongolia | $6,691 | $19,145 | $23.59 Bn | $5,350 |
 | Equatorial Guinea | $6,745 | $17,567 | $12.77 Bn | $4,740 |
 | Ecuador | $6,875 | $15,840 | $124.68 Bn | $6,430 |
 | Jamaica | $7,020 | $12,890 | $19.93 Bn | $6,490 |
 | Azerbaijan | $7,284 | $25,089 | $74.32 Bn | $7,310 |
 | Thailand | $7,345 | $24,712 | $526.41 Bn | $7,120 |
 | Suriname | $7,431 | $21,801 | $4.71 Bn | $5,870 |
 | Marshall Islands | $7,467 | $8,195 | $280.36 Mn | $8,380 |
 | Moldova | $7,618 | $18,615 | $18.20 Bn | $6,940 |
 | Botswana | $7,695 | $20,538 | $19.40 Bn | $7,750 |
 | Colombia | $7,914 | $22,349 | $418.54 Bn | $7,040 |
 | Gabon | $8,219 | $21,510 | $20.87 Bn | $7,550 |
 | Belarus | $8,317 | $33,010 | $75.96 Bn | $8,240 |
 | Belize | $8,430 | $14,347 | $3.52 Bn | $7,640 |
 | Peru | $8,452 | $17,802 | $289.22 Bn | $7,490 |
 | Armenia | $8,501 | $22,823 | $25.79 Bn | $7,780 |
 | Turkmenistan | $8,572 | $21,213 | $64.24 Bn | $8,390 |
 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | $8,957 | $25,043 | $28.34 Bn | $8,630 |
 | Georgia | $9,194 | $28,285 | $33.78 Bn | $8,200 |
 | North Macedonia | $9,310 | $26,995 | $16.69 Bn | $8,360 |
 | Albania | $10,012 | $26,702 | $27.18 Bn | $8,690 |
 | Brazil | $10,280 | $22,339 | $2.18 Tn | $9,950 |
 | Dominica | $10,405 | $21,301 | $688.88 Mn | $10,220 |
 | Dominican Republic | $10,876 | $27,542 | $124.28 Bn | $10,280 |
 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $11,501 | $21,272 | $1.16 Bn | $11,020 |
 | Malaysia | $11,867 | $38,779 | $421.97 Bn | $11,670 |
 | Grenada | $11,872 | $20,178 | $1.39 Bn | $10,550 |
 | Mauritius | $11,872 | $31,840 | $14.95 Bn | $12,850 |
 | Montenegro | $12,935 | $34,063 | $8.07 Bn | $12,020 |
 | Maldives | $13,216 | $26,183 | $6.98 Bn | $11,650 |
 | China | $13,303 | $27,105 | $18.74 Tn | $13,660 |
 | Nauru | $13,422 | $14,173 | $160.35 Mn | $21,260 |
 | Serbia | $13,524 | $32,832 | $89.08 Bn | $11,570 |
 | Argentina | $13,858 | $30,431 | $633.27 Bn | $13,440 |
 | Kazakhstan | $14,005 | $40,891 | $288.41 Bn | $12,150 |
 | Mexico | $14,158 | $26,185 | $1.85 Tn | $12,800 |
 | Saint Lucia | $14,182 | $27,567 | $2.55 Bn | $12,800 |
 | Russia | $14,889 | $47,405 | $2.17 Tn | $15,320 |
 | Turkey | $15,473 | $45,639 | $1.32 Tn | $13,150 |
 | Chile | $16,710 | $36,181 | $330.27 Bn | $15,750 |
 | Bulgaria | $17,412 | $41,970 | $112.21 Bn | $15,320 |
 | Seychelles | $17,859 | $33,239 | $2.17 Bn | $17,460 |
 | Costa Rica | $18,587 | $31,107 | $95.35 Bn | $15,620 |
 | Panama | $19,103 | $41,369 | $86.26 Bn | $17,960 |
 | Trinidad and Tobago | $19,315 | $36,329 | $26.43 Bn | $20,000 |
 | Romania | $20,072 | $49,077 | $382.77 Bn | $17,600 |
 | Oman | $20,248 | $41,740 | $106.94 Bn | $19,280 |
 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | $22,771 | $34,847 | $1.07 Bn | $22,310 |
 | Hungary | $23,311 | $48,553 | $222.91 Bn | $20,690 |
 | Latvia | $23,368 | $43,394 | $43.52 Bn | $21,930 |
 | Antigua and Barbuda | $23,726 | $33,386 | $2.22 Bn | $21,380 |
 | Uruguay | $23,907 | $36,418 | $80.96 Bn | $21,580 |
 | Croatia | $23,931 | $49,551 | $92.53 Bn | $22,080 |
 | Greece | $24,752 | $44,327 | $257.14 Bn | $23,030 |
 | Poland | $25,023 | $51,263 | $914.70 Bn | $21,560 |
 | Barbados | $25,366 | $24,823 | $7.17 Bn | $23,660 |
 | Slovakia | $26,148 | $48,132 | $141.78 Bn | $23,900 |
 | Portugal | $28,845 | $51,680 | $308.68 Bn | $26,620 |
 | Lithuania | $29,386 | $55,286 | $84.87 Bn | $26,950 |
 | Guyana | $29,884 | $80,155 | $24.84 Bn | $20,220 |
 | Bahrain | $30,048 | $66,941 | $47.74 Bn | $28,810 |
 | Estonia | $31,170 | $49,969 | $42.76 Bn | $28,700 |
 | Czechia | $31,707 | $57,285 | $345.04 Bn | $29,140 |
 | Kuwait | $32,214 | $52,444 | $160.23 Bn | $40,250 |
 | Japan | $32,476 | $52,039 | $4.03 Tn | $36,030 |
 | Brunei | $33,418 | $89,879 | $15.46 Bn | $36,150 |
 | Slovenia | $34,089 | $57,186 | $72.49 Bn | $31,640 |
 | Saudi Arabia | $35,057 | $71,375 | $1.24 Tn | $35,570 |
 | Spain | $35,297 | $57,965 | $1.72 Tn | $33,410 |
 | Turks and Caicos Islands | $37,507 | $37,954 | $1.75 Bn | |
 | Cyprus | $38,654 | $63,007 | $36.33 Bn | $32,980 |
 | Puerto Rico | $39,285 | $50,248 | $125.84 Bn | $25,930 |
 | Bahamas | $39,455 | $41,198 | $15.83 Bn | |
 | Italy | $40,226 | $62,014 | $2.37 Tn | $38,290 |
 | Malta | $42,347 | $69,864 | $24.32 Bn | $34,660 |
 | France | $46,150 | $62,557 | $3.16 Tn | $45,180 |
 | New Zealand | $48,747 | $55,551 | $260.24 Bn | $46,280 |
 | Andorra | $49,304 | $74,940 | $4.04 Bn | $48,870 |
 | United Arab Emirates | $49,378 | $79,229 | $537.08 Bn | $49,500 |
 | United Kingdom | $52,637 | $62,010 | $3.64 Tn | $48,610 |
 | Finland | $53,189 | $65,378 | $299.84 Bn | $51,710 |
 | Hong Kong | $54,107 | $75,196 | $407.11 Bn | $57,100 |
 | Israel | $54,177 | $57,236 | $540.38 Bn | $52,940 |
 | Canada | $54,283 | $64,610 | $2.24 Tn | $53,340 |
 | Germany | $55,800 | $73,552 | $4.66 Tn | $54,960 |
 | Belgium | $55,955 | $73,515 | $664.56 Bn | $54,840 |
 | Austria | $56,833 | $73,911 | $521.64 Bn | $54,160 |
 | Sweden | $57,723 | $71,845 | $610.12 Bn | $58,820 |
 | Australia | $64,407 | $72,111 | $1.75 Tn | $62,550 |
 | Netherlands | $68,219 | $86,174 | $1.23 Tn | $62,840 |
 | Denmark | $71,852 | $81,878 | $429.46 Bn | $73,790 |
 | Macau | $73,047 | $126,960 | $50.18 Bn | |
 | Qatar | $76,276 | $126,046 | $217.98 Bn | $76,720 |
 | Iceland | $82,704 | $84,257 | $33.46 Bn | $78,480 |
 | United States | $85,810 | $85,810 | $29.20 Tn | $83,660 |
 | Norway | $86,810 | $102,038 | $483.73 Bn | $98,280 |
 | Singapore | $90,674 | $143,786 | $547.39 Bn | $74,750 |
 | Switzerland | $103,670 | $96,498 | $936.56 Bn | $95,900 |
 | Ireland | $107,316 | $133,438 | $577.39 Bn | $77,920 |
 | Luxembourg | $137,517 | $155,941 | $93.20 Bn | $91,470 |
 | Bermuda | $138,935 | $124,253 | $8.98 Bn | $140,280 |
 | Ethiopia | $3,288 | |||
 | South Korea | $61,051 | |||
 | Palestine | $4,371 | $13.71 Bn | ||
 | Cape Verde | $11,195 | $2.77 Bn | $5,000 | |
 | Curacao | $32,693 | |||
 | Aruba | $50,649 | |||
 | Faroe Islands | $81,909 | |||
 | Sint Maarten | $1.74 Bn | |||
 | Saint Martin | $53,739 | |||
| Total | $107.80 Tn |
- Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita measures a country’s GDP divided by its total population.
- The GDP per capita PPP is obtained by dividing the country’s gross domestic product, adjusted by purchasing power parity, by the total population.
Snapshot
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Burundi is the poorest country in the world by GDP per capita (PPP), at about $950 as of 2024 data, reflecting extremely low productivity and limited economic activity.
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Sudan ranks as the 10th poorest country in the table, at roughly $2,100 GDP per capita (PPP).
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The 10 countries with the lowest GDP per capita (PPP) are all located in Africa.
The poorest countries in the world are those where income per person remains exceptionally low compared with global norms. In this article, “poorest” refers to GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power (GDP per capita, PPP), which better reflects real earning capacity than total economic output alone. Countries at the bottom of global income rankings often struggle with limited economic opportunities, slower productivity, and basic infrastructure gaps.
5 Poorest Countries in the World by Income
Based on GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power, the countries below represent the lowest income levels globally.
1. Burundi
Burundi is the world’s poorest country, with a GDP per capita, PPP of $950, as of 2024 data. Its population is growing at a rate of about 2.5%, making it one of the fastest-growing countries in the world; consequently, Burundi faces the threat of overpopulation. The country’s largest industry is agriculture, making up roughly one-third of its GDP and employing over 70% of the population. Despite this, about 40% of its people don’t have access to enough food, and overpopulation can exacerbate this. Burundi also struggles with limited education, widespread corruption, and warfare.
2. Central African Republic
The Central African Republic’s GDP per capita, PPP is $1,264, making it the second-poorest country. CAR is another country with a fast-growing population but a weak economy. Many citizens are subsistence farmers to take care of their families, and agriculture makes up over half of the country’s GDP. While timber and diamonds account for the majority of the country’s profits, its citizens do not see the money.
3. Somalia
Somalia is the world’s third-poorest country, with a GDP per capita, PPP of $1,601. Somalia’s population is also growing rapidly with a fertility rate of over 6 births per woman. This puts a strain on the country’s poor healthcare and instability. Somalia faces numerous other issues, such as poor governance, internal conflict, economic decline, and poverty. Most Somalis live below the poverty line.
4. Mozambique
Mozambique is the fourth-poorest country in the world, with a GDP per capita, PPP of $1,700. Mozambique consistently has one of the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) scores in the world. The HDI is a measurement of average achievement in human development, including indicators such as life expectancy, education, income, and more. The country has one of the world’s highest maternal mortality rates, most homes lack electricity or running water, and paved roads are uncommon.
5. Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GDP per capita, PPP of $1,710, making it the fifth-poorest country. DR Congo has one of the fastest-growing populations in the world. Its rapid population growth exacerbates its high rates of malnutrition, lack of modern healthcare, and poor education, in addition to facing political instability and conflict. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has one of the highest poverty rates in the world.
