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Poorest Countries in the World 2024

Snapshot

  • According to both purchasing power parity (PPP) and the Atlas Method, Burundi is the poorest country in the world.

  • Burundi's PPP is $780, while its gross national income per capita using the Atlas Method is $220, the lowest amongst all listed nations.

  • The 8 countries with the lowest PPP GNI per capita are all in Africa.

Burundi is the poorest country in the world, with a per capita GNI of $240 using the Atlas method and a PPP of $840. Conversely, Bermuda is the richest country in the world according to GNI (Atlas method), with a value of $125,240. Therefore, the difference in GNI (Atlas method) between the richest and poorest countries in the world is $116,380. In terms of PPP, Norway is the richest country in the world, with a PPP of $118,440. Therefore, the difference between the richest and poorest countries in terms of PPP is $101,670. The average Atlas method GNI among all countries is $15,780, meaning the average country is over 58 times richer than Burundi. The average GNI PPP is $23,329, making the average country over 26 times richer than Burundi.

Gross National Income (GNI)

Gross national income (GNI) is the total amount of money earned by a nation's people and businesses. It is typically expressed in one of two ways. The first is in US dollars, calculated using a technique called the Atlas method to compare each nation's currency. The second is in "purchasing power parity (PPP) international dollars," a hypothetical currency tied to the value of the US dollar in a given year. Under the World Bank system, low-income countries are nations that have a GNI (adjusted to current US dollars) of less than $1,135 as of 2022.

The world's poorest countries are classified as low-income economies in the four-tiered World Bank ranking system. This ranking is based on each country's gross national income (GNI) per capita, which is a measure of the country's total income divided by its population. GNI is similar to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. GDP is the sum of the gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes, minus any subsidies, divided by the country’s population. Both GNI and GDP measure the dollar value of all goods and services produced in a given country, but GNI also includes income earned via international sources (such as foreign investments or real estate holdings). Therefore, GNI is considered a slightly more accurate measure of a country's economic health and, therefore, used to determine the world’s poorest countries in this article.

Country
PPP (int)
Burundi$840
Central African Republic$1,020
DR Congo$1,280
Somalia$1,360
Mozambique$1,410
Niger$1,510
Liberia$1,620
Chad$1,640
Afghanistan$1,690
Malawi$1,700

5 Poorest Countries in the World

1. Burundi

Burundi is the world's poorest country. It has over 13.2 million people and is growing at a rate of 2.87%, making it one of the fastest-growing countries in the world; however, Burundi faces the threat of overpopulation. The country's largest industry is agriculture, making up 32.9% 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 GNI PPP is $980, 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. South Sudan

South Sudan is the third-poorest country in the world, with a GNI PPP of $1,040. South Sudan has the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) score in the world of just .385. 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.

4. Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has a GNI PPP of $1,110, making it the fourth-poorest country. This country is one of the fastest-growing in the world, with an annual population increase of 3.26% on top of its current 102 million people. It’s 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 a poverty rate of 63.9%.

5. Somalia

Somalia is the world’s fifth-poorest country, with a GNI PPP of $1,240. Like the other previously mentioned, Somalia’s population is growing rapidly at 3.32% 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. About 70% of Somalians live below the poverty line.

Global Gross National Income (GNI)

As of 2022, World Bank recorded global PPP at $20,645.50, and shows the global Atlas method value at $12,804. Africa, where the majority of the world's ten poorest countries are located, has a PPP of $6,825, and its Atlas method value is $2,570.56, making it the poorest continent in the world.

Source

The numbers on this page are provided by World Bank’s data on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) and the Atlas method for 2022 or the most recent year’s available data. The GNI PPP dataset is missing some countries due to a lack of information, which have not been included on this page. Some countries that are not included: Andorra, Cuba, Eritrea, Faroe Islands, North Korea, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Syria, and Yemen.

Notes:
- 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.

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Country
Per Capita (IMF '23)
Per Capita (UN '21)
Atlas Method
PPP (int)
GDP per Capita
GDP per Capita PPP
Burundi$235$297$240$840$238$836
Central African Republic$467$405$480$1,020$427$967
DR Congo$639$592$590$1,280$586$1,337
Somalia$616$557$470$1,360$462$1,364
Mozambique$629$528$500$1,410$541$1,468
Niger$605$546$610$1,510$533$1,505
Liberia$785$590$680$1,620$755$1,725
Chad$668$891$690$1,640$717$1,668
Afghanistan-$327$390$1,690$364$1,674
Malawi$614$585$640$1,700$645$1,732
Madagascar$508$482$510$1,720$505$1,774
Sierra Leone$392$388$510$1,900$461$1,931
Guinea Bissau$906$717$820$2,220$776$2,190
Burkina Faso$872$804$840$2,400$833$2,546
Mali$887$784$850$2,420$833$2,517
Zimbabwe$1,905$1,552$1,500$2,460$1,267$2,531
Gambia$840$785$810$2,470$840$2,510
Togo$984$873$990$2,610$918$2,608
Uganda$1,049$966$930$2,650$964$2,694
Solomon Islands$2,233$2,111$2,220$2,670$2,203$2,654
Rwanda$966$924$930$2,730$966$2,792
Ethiopia$1,201$917$1,020$2,800$1,028$2,812
Guinea$1,597$1,435$1,180$2,840$1,532$3,187
Tanzania$1,211-$1,200$3,040$1,192$3,097
Lesotho$1,007$971$1,260$3,160$1,107$2,695
Haiti$2,190$1,580$1,610$3,310$1,748$3,305
Republic of the Congo$2,307$2,457$2,060$3,520$2,448$3,791
Zambia$1,398$1,379$1,170$3,680$1,488$3,894
Vanuatu$3,406$2,878$3,560$3,780$3,010$3,289
Comoros$1,572$1,437$1,610$3,850$1,485$3,832
Benin$1,416$1,236$1,400$4,020$1,303$4,056
Senegal$1,709$1,524$1,640$4,100$1,599$4,209
Sudan-$744$760$4,150$1,102$4,216
Papua New Guinea$3,014$3,006$2,730$4,270$3,020$4,447
Micronesia$3,938$3,672$4,130$4,280$3,741$3,855
Kiribati$1,812$1,648$3,280$4,520$1,702$2,365
Nepal$1,323$1,261$1,340$4,750$1,337$4,725
Myanmar$1,362$1,186$1,210$4,760$1,096$4,870
Sao Tome and Principe$2,851$2,313$2,410$4,770$2,404$4,738
Timor Leste$1,466$2,322$1,970$4,780$2,358$4,828
Cameroon$1,676$1,509$1,660$5,080$1,588$4,408
Nigeria$1,702$2,073$2,140$5,650$2,184$5,860
Kenya$2,006$2,018$2,170$5,680$2,099$5,764
Tajikistan$1,144$1,016$1,210$5,680$1,054$4,885
Djibouti$3,361$3,474$3,180$5,780$3,136$5,893
Kyrgyzstan$1,854$1,598$1,410$5,830$1,607$6,133
Samoa$4,101$3,744$3,630$5,870$3,743$6,041
Honduras$3,159$2,948$2,740$6,210$3,040$6,741
Ivory Coast$2,683$2,365$2,620$6,330$2,486$6,538
Mauritania$2,074$2,202$2,160$6,330$2,191$6,424
Pakistan$1,389$1,333$1,580$6,350$1,597$6,437
Ghana$2,203$2,121$2,350$6,380$2,176$6,498
Nicaragua$2,430$2,194$2,090$6,380$2,255$6,875
Angola$2,481$2,997$1,900$6,450$2,999$6,974
Tonga$5,033$4,494$4,930$7,160$4,426$6,779
Tuvalu$5,489$5,144$7,210$7,310$5,335$5,421
Bangladesh$2,555$2,477$2,820$7,690$2,688$7,395
Palestine-$3,478$4,610$8,170$3,789$6,757
India$2,589$2,404$2,380$8,210$2,389$8,379
Marshall Islands$6,531$6,594$7,920$8,640$6,728$7,228
Laos$1,841$1,986$2,360$8,810$2,088$9,384
Cape Verde$4,298$3,830$4,140$8,970$3,903$9,083
Morocco$3,856$3,426$3,710$9,390$3,528$9,519
Bolivia$3,724$3,502$3,450$9,400$3,523$9,684
Uzbekistan$2,534$2,254$2,190$9,640$2,255$9,533
Eswatini$3,803$3,541$3,800$9,920$4,040$10,782
El Salvador$5,525$5,079$4,720$10,460$5,127$11,096
Guatemala$5,598$5,175$5,350$10,610$5,473$10,818
Philippines$3,658$3,394$3,950$10,730$3,499$10,133
Iraq$5,481$5,678$5,270$10,820$5,937$10,862
Jordan$4,394$4,168$4,260$10,890$4,205$11,003
Namibia$4,780$4,765$4,880$10,890$4,911$11,206
Belize$7,723$6,793$6,800$10,900$6,968$11,451
Bhutan$3,390$3,658$3,040$11,300$3,266$12,036
Jamaica$6,642$6,053$5,670$11,480$6,047$11,822
Tunisia$4,081$3,675$3,840$12,160$3,777$12,490
Mongolia$5,376$4,908$4,210$12,470$4,947$14,230
Ecuador$6,458$6,260$6,310$12,630$6,391$12,822
Vietnam$4,355$4,109$4,010$12,810$4,164$13,457
Equatorial Guinea$5,721$6,705$5,320$12,850$7,053$17,396
Algeria$4,843$4,147$3,900$12,930$4,274$13,210
Ukraine$4,571$4,231$4,270$13,360$4,534$12,671
Fiji$5,844$5,281$5,270$13,370$5,317$14,125
Lebanon-$7,531$4,970$13,400$4,136$14,331
Dominica$9,500$8,342$8,460$13,540$8,415$13,573
Sri Lanka-$3,471$3,610$14,030$3,354$14,405
Peru$7,630$6,996$6,770$14,080$7,126$15,048
Indonesia$5,066$4,714$4,580$14,250$4,788$14,653
Egypt$3,480$3,575$4,100$14,590$4,295$15,091
Gabon$7,776$8,103$7,540$14,880$8,820$16,471
Moldova$4,805$4,358$5,340$15,310$5,563$15,238
Turkmenistan$12,401$10,156$7,080$15,400$7,297$15,628
Paraguay$6,354$6,006$5,920$15,540$6,153$15,977
Palau$14,791$12,501$12,790$15,560$12,084$15,212
South Africa$6,242$6,642$6,780$15,570$6,776$15,905
Grenada$10,293$9,401$9,340$15,870$10,016$16,987
Suriname$5,628$5,759$4,880$16,080$5,858$17,620
Azerbaijan$7,397$7,524$5,630$16,530$7,737$17,764
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines$10,021$9,131$9,110$16,810$9,125$17,207
Saint Lucia$13,656$11,975$11,160$17,110$11,482$17,756
Brazil$9,772$8,822$8,140$17,260$8,918$17,822
Barbados$22,033$20,190$19,350$17,340$20,019$17,837
Botswana$7,632$7,483$7,350$17,590$7,738$18,323
Armenia$8,834$7,024$5,960$18,120$7,014$18,942
Iran$4,080$4,432$3,900$18,130$4,388$18,075
Albania$8,150$6,694$6,770$18,210$6,803$18,552
Georgia$8,076$6,619$5,620$18,830$6,628$20,113
North Macedonia$7,587$6,583$6,640$19,290$6,591$20,162
Colombia$6,951$6,571$6,510$19,490$6,630$20,287
Nauru$11,642$11,483$17,870$19,780$11,914$13,118
Thailand$7,125$6,891$7,230$20,070$6,909$20,672
Bosnia and Herzegovina$8,435$7,662$7,660$20,220$7,585$20,377
Mexico$14,000$11,310$10,410$21,060$11,091$21,512
China$12,420$12,604$12,850$21,250$12,720$21,476
Belarus$7,283$7,707$7,240$21,800$7,905$22,591
Dominican Republic$10,550$9,930$9,050$21,910$10,121$22,834
Maldives$13,472$11,915$11,030$22,530$11,818$24,772
Serbia$10,570$8,956$9,140$22,720$9,394$23,911
Costa Rica$16,313$13,033$12,670$22,820$13,199$24,923
Turks and Caicos Islands-$24,527$24,160$22,860$24,918$22,915
Libya$5,772$5,821$7,260$23,590$6,716$23,375
Curacao-$15,936$18,430$23,890$17,718$22,933
Antigua and Barbuda$20,556$18,670$18,280$24,500$18,745$25,337
Argentina$13,501$13,703$11,620$26,030$13,686$26,505
Uruguay$22,272$20,790$18,030$26,290$20,795$28,842
Trinidad and Tobago$18,130$19,538$16,330$27,040$18,222$27,778
Kazakhstan$13,077$11,373$9,470$27,080$11,244$30,810
Mauritius$11,382$9,907$10,760$27,480$10,216$26,906
Montenegro$11,273$9,950$10,400$27,530$9,894$26,984
Puerto Rico$35,950$34,702$24,560$27,830$35,209$40,498
Chile$17,519$15,295$15,360$28,550$15,356$30,209
Saint Kitts and Nevis$22,342$20,466$19,730$32,180$20,177$34,052
Malaysia$12,428$11,719$11,780$32,250$11,972$33,434
Bulgaria$15,577$13,630$13,250$32,520$13,772$33,582
Seychelles$19,259$18,426$14,340$33,480$15,875$35,228
Sint Maarten-$35,500$31,500$35,230$36,220$41,812
Russia$12,938$15,563$12,830$35,770$15,345$36,485
Greece$23,526$21,090$21,740$36,600$20,732$36,835
Slovakia$23,329$20,219$22,060$36,840$21,258$37,459
Turkey$13,385$10,516$10,590$36,920$10,616$37,274
Panama$18,187$16,900$16,750$37,080$17,358$39,280
Guyana$19,923$17,958$15,050$37,710$18,990$40,642
Bahamas$33,418$31,061$31,530$38,290$31,458$40,379
Oman$22,972$24,327$20,150$38,890$25,057$41,724
Latvia$25,780$22,581$21,500$39,260$21,851$39,956
Romania$17,861$15,326$15,660$40,600$15,892$41,888
Hungary$20,393$17,743$19,010$40,620$18,463$41,907
Croatia$20,113$17,948$19,470$40,740$18,413$40,380
Portugal$27,039$24,928$25,800$40,870$24,275$41,452
Poland$20,938$17,108$18,350$41,310$18,321$43,269
Aruba$36,044$33,385$29,460$41,610$29,342$42,887
Spain$33,325$29,825$31,680$45,950$29,350$45,825
Cyprus$25,253$23,028$30,540$45,960$31,284$49,931
Estonia$31,689$28,846$27,640$46,080$28,333$46,697
Lithuania$29,496$26,321$23,690$46,790$24,827$48,397
Czech Republic$31,917$27,659$26,590$47,780$27,638$49,946
Japan$34,501$34,511$42,440$48,470$33,815$45,573
Israel$56,025$56,381$54,650$48,820$54,660$49,509
Slovenia$32,277$28,307$30,600$49,200$29,457$50,032
New Zealand$47,328$46,650$48,460$50,380$48,249$51,967
South Korea$33,034$32,351$35,990$50,730$32,255$50,070
Malta$37,841$33,724$33,550$51,590$33,941$55,928
Italy$37,243$34,873$37,700$52,470$34,158$51,865
United Kingdom$49,029$45,453$48,890$54,920$45,850$54,603
Cayman Islands-$89,878$65,190$55,720$88,476$76,581
France$46,993$42,775$45,860$57,090$40,964$55,493
Bahrain$30,022$29,614$27,180$57,370$30,152$61,228
Canada$54,154$54,669$52,960$57,820$54,966$58,400
Finland$55,080$50,904$54,360$58,950$50,537$59,027
Saudi Arabia$28,538$29,571$27,590$59,660$30,436$59,065
Belgium$53,561$49,732$48,700$60,020$49,583$65,027
Australia$63,211$66,540$60,430$60,350$64,491$62,625
San Marino$59,440$52,975$47,120$61,060$54,982$67,983
Kuwait$36,715$40,319$39,570$64,590$43,233$58,056
Germany$53,210$48,971$53,390$65,300$48,432$63,150
Iceland$80,940$74,306$68,220$65,560$72,903$69,081
Netherlands$61,838$57,044$57,430$66,750$55,985$69,577
Sweden$55,942$55,388$62,990$67,040$55,873$64,578
Brunei$33,241$36,594$31,410$67,740$37,152$69,275
Austria$58,614$52,389$56,140$68,170$52,131$67,936
Macau$53,963$33,716$44,980$70,930$31,618$55,344
Hong Kong$51,429$48,000$54,370$73,940$48,984$69,049
Denmark$70,845$67,372$73,200$76,810$66,983$74,005
United States$78,843$75,316$76,370$77,530$76,399$76,399
Switzerland$102,321$92,463$89,450$78,040$92,101$83,598
United Arab Emirates$53,085$52,864$48,950$87,300$53,758$87,729
Ireland$115,841$104,611$81,070$91,950$104,039$126,905
Luxembourg$134,667$123,234$91,200$97,750$126,426$142,214
Bermuda-$118,026$125,240$98,610$118,846$95,837
Singapore$82,169$77,121$67,200$107,030$82,808$127,565
Qatar$86,041$86,626$70,500$110,640$88,046$114,648
Norway$99,151$105,073$95,510$118,440$106,149$114,899
Yemen$598$313$840-$677-
Venezuela$3,137$4,399----
North Korea-$578----
Syria-$764$760-$537-
Taiwan$31,396-----
Cambodia$1,807$1,723$1,700-$1,787$5,349
South Sudan$556$409----
Cuba-$13,172$8,920-$9,500-
Eritrea-$624----
French Polynesia-$18,674--$19,999-
New Caledonia-$32,515--$36,668-
Andorra$45,954$42,021$46,530-$41,993-
Greenland-$51,526--$57,116-
Liechtenstein-$194,816--$184,083-
Monaco-$242,611--$234,317-
British Virgin Islands-$46,319----
Cook Islands-$16,972----
Anguilla-$28,420----
Montserrat-$16,529----
showing: 211 rows

What is the poorest country in the world?

Burundi is the poorest country in the world, with a GNI(PPP) of $840.

What are the 10 poorest countries in the world?

The 10 poorest countries in the world are Burundi, Central African Republic, DR Congo, Somalia, Mozambique, Niger, Liberia, Chad, Afghanistan and Malawi.

What are the 10 richest countries in the world?

The 10 richest countries in the world are Norway, Qatar, Singapore, Bermuda, Luxembourg, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, United States and Denmark.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources