Curious to know which is the poorest country in the world? Here’s a list of the poorest countries in the world 2020.
The development is positive in many countries around the world, and life is generally improved globally, but there is still massive poverty in many countries.
There are different ways of measuring the poorest country in the world, and in this article, you can see them ranked by GDP, which shows the purchasing power of the country, also known as PPP per capita.
PPP stands for Purchasing Power Parity and is measured by the GDP per capita. This gives a better picture of the country’s economy. The value is given in international dollars, which is a hypothetical currency that follows the same exchange rate as the US Dollar.
12. Togo
There are several reasons for the poverty in Togo, but a few that stands out is the high amount of orphans, where the parents have died in AIDS. Low literacy is another reason, only 63,7% can read and write.
Waterborne diseases are also common since only 60% of the population has access to a reliable and safe water source. Poor infrastructure is yet another cause for the weak economy.
About 80% of the Togolese that lives outside the cities are living under the global poverty line of 1,90 USD a day.
PPP per capita: 1549
11. Comoros
Approximately 45% of the population live below the global poverty line. Poor welfare systems, lack of higher education and a quickly growing population are just some of the reasons for the poverty in Comoros.
About 150,000 Comorians have moved abroad to countries such as France in search of a better life. The total population in Comoros is estimated at 800,000 people.
Some reforms have been made recently that is starting to yield positive results for the economy.
PPP per capita: 1528
10. Madagascar
Madagascar is famous for its vanilla and unique wildlife, but it’s one of the poorest countries in the world, and it is estimated that 70% of the population lives in poverty.
Political conflicts and corruption are some of the main reasons for the weak economy of Madagascar. The crime level is also relatively high.
PPP per capita: 1504
9. Eritrea
Agriculture is by far the largest part of the Eritrean economy, and a few years of severe droughts have taken a toll on Eritrea and its people. The government also doesn’t accept any aid from other countries.
Eritrea has a dictatorship and is ruled by the president Isaias Afewerki.
PPP per capita: 1321
8. Guinea
This shouldn’t be confused with New Guinea or the neighboring country Guinea-Bissau. The Republic of Guinea has one of the largest natural reserves of all African countries, but despite that, it is the eighth poorest country in the world.
Diamonds, iron, copper, uranium as well as gold are some of the natural reserves in Guinea. The big corporations that operate the mining of the resources give little or nothing at all back to the local community. Most of the businesses here have been agreed by bribed politicians.
Guinea doesn’t have its own resources to mine the natural resources and sadly, much of it will disappear from the country and the profit will end up in the pockets of greedy politicians.
PPP per capita: 1271
7. Moçambique
A former Portuguese colony with a dark past consisting of a bloody civil war. It is estimated that about 1 million people died in the war.
It looked a lot brighter for Mocambique until it was recently hit by a severe natural disaster with storms and floods, which sadly probably will make it an even poorer country.
PPP per capita: 1228
6. Malawi
Tobacco is the largest export in Malawi, and the agriculture accounts for about 90% of the country’s employment. Malawi is undeveloped and extremely poor, and famine has hit the population several times.
About 25% is said to live in extreme poverty despite economic growth in recent years. The growing population is bigger than the economic growth which means that the needs of some people can’t be met.
PPP per capita: 1139
5. Niger
Did you know that Niger has large quantities of Uranium? A big part of the economy is driven by the exports of Uranium to other countries. However, only 30% of the population can read and write, and more than half of the children suffer from malnutrition.
Another reason for the poverty in Niger is overpopulation and drought. Agriculture is one of the largest employment sectors and has been hit hard by the droughts.
PPP per capita: 1,113
4. Liberia
Liberia is the fourth poorest country in the world with a purchasing power of 882 PPP per capita. It’s a former dictatorship torn by corruption and war that has led to political instability for a long period.
About 64% of the population live in poverty, whereas 1,3 million is said to live in extreme poverty. Less than 50% are literate. However, this is slowly improving as the younger generation is learning to read and write.
PPP per capita: 882
3. Burundi
Just like many other African countries, Burundi is suffering the consequences of bloody civil wars and political instability. Burundi has a PPP per capita at 818, which makes it the third poorest country in the world.
Around 90% of the population is dependent on agriculture to survive. Overpopulation is another problem that Burundi is facing as the land area is relatively small compared with the inhabitants.
PPP per capita: 818
2. The Democratic Republic of Congo
Another poor country that has become a victim of bloody civil wars and overpopulation. The Democratic Republic of Congo is also known for having a corrupt government, which isn’t so surprising since it’s the country that has the largest amount of natural resources in all of Africa.
In other words, The Democratic Republic of Congo could be the richest country in Africa without the civil wars and corrupted leaders that keep the wealth to themselves.
Poor infrastructure, lack of education and low literacy are some other reasons for why The Democratic Republic of Congo is being held back from its full potential and economic growth. A yearly income on average comes in around 785 USD, which is approximately 2 USD per day.
PPP per capita: 784
1. Central African Republic (Poorest country in the world)
Central African Republic is the poorest country in the world with a PPP per capita at 656.
Ironically, the Central African Republic is also one of the richest countries in the world, when it comes to natural resources. The country has large amounts of gold, timber, uranium, diamonds, and even oil that could improve the living standard for all of the people living in the Central African Republic.
Unfortunately, corruption is widespread and the battle of resources has led to many bloody conflicts.
PPP per capita: 656
More about the poorest countries in the world
All of the poorest countries in the world are located in Africa, which can seem remarkable, but there are many reasons for this. The colonialism, as well as lack of education, has held back many African countries along with corruption and civil wars.
Lack of contraceptives also gives rise to more childbirths than the rest of the world. In addition to that, larger families are needed to survive and help each other through poverty. The children will often need to work in the poorest countries in the world thus depriving them of education.
However, there are also African countries that show political stability, less corruption, and a growing economy. Let’s compare to Sweden (my own country), which is on the 16th place among the world’s richest countries with a PPP per capita at 47,862.
This means that Sweden has more in PPP per capita than all of the poorest countries in the world combined.
How you can help people in the world’s poorest countries
There are organizations that lend out money without interest rates to entrepreneurs in African countries. This will provide them the opportunity to create something of their own, and once they start making money, they pay back the loans.
Lend with Care is one of the organizations that change lives for many, and it’s not big amounts we’re talking about if you want to help someone changing their life. The good part about this is also the fact that you don’t give away the money, but instead, it becomes an investment in their business.
The only difference is, no one is making a profit from the investment except the poor person that you help with as little as 15 USD.
Did you know which was the poorest country in the world or were you surprised? Leave a comment below!