Top 10

Top 10 Poorest Countries in the World That Need Help

Poverty is a state or condition in which a person or community lacks the financial resources and essentials for a minimum standard of living. While poverty is measurable it does not define the country as a whole. Everyone should fight against poverty and together by joining hands we need to win against this so that our quality of life increases due to various conditions. 

We have seen many countries showcasing their wealth, army, or people’s power. Having many billionaires, zillionaires, and here are some of the countries which are poor according to the World Economic Forum.

(Quick information: All these countries are found in Africa where the mean per capita income is less than $1181).

10. Mozambique

The country is rich in natural resources and is now becoming Africa’s growing economy, Mozambique is still recovering from the civil war that it fought with the Portuguese from 1975 – 1992.

In 2019, the UN Human Development Index estimated the Gross National Income of Mozambique to be around $1154 and has a life expectancy of 60 years. The country in the year 2019 also faced devastation from Cyclone Idai however it overcame this and is now steadily growing.


9. Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone, a country that is rich in diamonds but is poor economically. One of the reasons why the country is poor is its long civil war which it faced between 1991 – 2002 where the illegal trading of gems is blamed to be the reason. Also, due to history, Sierra Leone also faces officers undertaking corruption at all levels where any development works are compromised by corrupted officials.

Almost a decade after the civil war, the country still suffers democratically as every government has failed to modernize the economy. However, compared to the last previous years, Sierra Leone has gained some economy and is now in the 9th position which previously had stood in the 6th position.

The life expectancy here has increased to 54.3 years from 52.2 years and the Gross National Income has risen to $1381 from $1240. The country is prone to many outbreaks such as Ebola which had a devastating impact.


8. Liberia

One of the oldest republics and also one of the poorest in Africa is Liberia. Although the country has enjoyed peace and stability since the civil war ended in 2003 it has faced many challenges where the government failed to address systematic, developmental issues also when the African nations suffered from the Ebola outbreak, the country with 4.9 million people struggled to recover.

Liberians are now trusting their Prime Minister to end their economic struggle, where when the current PM was elected in 2017, he promised Job Creation, Economic diversification, and investment in critical products, and also faces an uphill task of gaining the Liberian Dollar Price which is on a downward trend.


7. Burkina Faso

The country is bordered by other 2 countries on the list of poor countries of the world, Burkina Faso is a former French colony that has suffered from serious instability, conflict, and coups since gaining independence in the year 1960. Added to that drought swept across the country which resulted in a dip in GNI.

The country currently has a GNI of $1705 and a life expectancy of 61 years. The country faces a serious humanitarian crisis which might further develop losses.


6. Malawi

One of Africa’s smallest nations, Malawi is now slowly gaining economic growth by implementing crucial structural reforms. Its GDP has raised from $900 in 2010 to $1200 in 2019 and is projected to surpass $1500 by 2023.

The reason being the country has an improved outlook fuelled by a stable government and also a considerable amount of support from the IMF and World Bank. The country is largely dependent on rain-fed crops but due to changing weather conditions, the country is suffering from drought. Due to this, living in Urban Areas, food insecurity is rising.


5. Mali

The 4th largest country in Africa, Mali is bordered by Burkina Faso which is also one of the poor countries. The capital of Mali, Timbuktu once flourished as a major trading post. Mali gained independence from the French in the year 1960 and has a GNI of $1965 with an average life expectancy of 58.9 years.


4. Eritrea

The small east African nation of just 3.5 million people is one of the world’s least developed countries. It is a country that is dependent on agriculture where 65% of people live in rural and 80% in urban areas. Eritrea was ranked in the last position in the 47 Sub-Saharan 2020 Index of Economic Freedom by the Heritage Foundation.

The Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the country faces major drought every 3-5 years and in the year 2020 to it suffered from economic, and personal losses also it is facing loss from locusts attack. The country is unstable due to social and political instability. It has been facing this since the year 1993 when it had militarized leadership and all the land was considered state-owned with property rights being non-existent.


3. South Sudan

South Sudan is the newest nation that gained independence on July 9, 2011, six years after Sudan which is termed to be the longest-running civil war in Africa. However, till today violence has continued to ravage this land-locked nation. In contrast, South Sudan is a very rich nation but with oil accounting for almost all of its exports, the commodity prices have made it difficult for the economy to grow.

Additionally, major of the South Sudanese are employed in agriculture and violence often erupts with the farmers. The world bank estimates that 82% of South Sudanese stay in extreme poverty. The life expectancy of the South Sudanese is around 57 years old with a GNI of $1455.


2. Central African Republic

One of the very rich countries in terms of natural resources is the Central African Republic which has gold, oil, and uranium in high numbers. However, the people who live here are poor and they claimed the title of the poorest country in the world. However, the nation of 4.9 million citizens is now growing and is showing some signs of progress.

The country since gaining independence from France in the year 1960 elected its current president who is also a mathematician and a peacemaker. With his position, he has taken an important step towards national reconstruction. The country’s 75% of the population is living below the poverty line and a large part of the country is still controlled by anti-government rebels and militia groups hence, the path of recovery is still strong.

The country is now recovering with the timber industry and revival of the agriculture and mining sector. It has partially resumed the sale of diamonds and the government has restored sales and also controlled internal inter-religious clashes.


1. Niger

Niger is a country where 80% of it is covered by the Sahara Desert and has been facing constant challenges such as violence, migration, climate change, and excessive population growth.

Along with these, the country also suffers from poor food security and illness where it has been plagued with malaria, etc. The country has poor water and sanitization and for the last 20 years, the country has been suffering from hunger and nutrition issues which have led to 3 major crises in the last 20 years. 

In the year 2011, Niger elected a new president and since then a new investment code, improved access to credit, and faster access to water have led to sharp FDI. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Niger has once again plunged to what it was before and the country’s growth projection rate has decreased to 1% from 6.9%.

[ Also Checkout: Top 10 Happiest Countries in the World ]

"Follow Your Passion" I am a professional blogger, my aim is to help millions of readers to get the right information at the right time.

Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts