The world today is plagued by social and economic disparities, with some countries being very rich while others suffering from extreme poverty. The people of these poor countries are living in miserable conditions, with low per capita income, low rate of employment, poor standard of living, lack of healthcare facilities and high crime rate. Most of the countries are working to take their country towards development but sometimes, it can be really hard to reach the goal especially when the country is facing so much of problem.
Listed below are the top 10 poorest countries in the world
10. Madagascar
Featuring on number 10 in the list is Madagascar, with a poor GDP per capita measuring $ 1505 as per 2015 figure. The country has its main industry in tourism, but a setback in tourism has been the main reason for its poverty. Madagascar is one of the biodiversity hot spots however the wildlife of the country is under threat because of the encroachment and growing human population. It still remains to be an underdeveloped country and the cost of living in the country is really high. There was a major political crisis from 2009 and 2013 and that gave a major setback to tourism industry
9. Eritrea
Eritrea, a former colony of Italy and then England, comes next on this list, with a GDP per capita of $ 1410 in 2017. The country controlled the Sue Canal route early in the 19th century but was conquered by Italy in 1869 after the opening of the Canal. Later, England took it over in 1941 and the country has still not been able to overcome these blows economically. The country is led by one party state and that is one of the reasons for the under-development. In addition to this, Eritrea is considered to be the worst country when it comes to human rights.
8. Guinea
On number 8, one of the poorest country stands to be Guinea with GDP per capital of 1265. The country is also known as French Guinea because of the long rule of France over the country. The country received independence in October 1958 and the economy of the country is majorly dependent on agriculture and mineral production. Guinea is also the second largest producer of bauxite and the country is known to have rich deposits of gold and diamond. As per some of the reports, there are several human right violations in the country and the most common is female genital mutilation.
7. Mozambique
Next on our list is Mozambique. The country has a GDP per capita of 1215 and it is the seventh poorest country in the world. The country was ruled by Portugal until 1975 and the present constitution was established in 1990. The country has had a relatively stable political background until 2013, however, insurgency from Renamo has been occurring since 2013 which is causing political instability. The country is rich in natural resources and the economy of the country mostly depends on agriculture. The recent years have also seen a growth of manufacturing industry and the country is also coming up as a tourism destination. The country is trying to develop hard as it has also started attracting a lot of FDI. The people of Mozambique has an average life expectancy rate.
6. Malawi
Malawi, with a GDP per capita of $ 1134, is another country considered to be one of the poorest in the world. More than half of its population lives below poverty line and the country is under huge debt. It is one of the smallest countries in Africa and the country was ruled by the United Kingdom till 1964. Malawi is known to be one of the least developed countries and the economy is based on the primary sectors. Some of the major challenges faced by the government are in providing healthcare and education and providing environmental protection. Another problem faced by the people of the country is low life expectancy and prevalence of AIDS.
5. Niger
Niger, with a GDP per capita of $ 853.43, features on number 7 in this list. This desert country is plagued by multiple problems including political instability, aweakeconomy, and gender inequality. The country was ruled by France for a long time and it received independence on 3 August 1960. Niger is also one of the exporters of uranium ore but the country lacks majorly in the health care and infrastructure.
4. Liberia
As per the 2017 GDP per capita figure of $ 855, Liberia features on number 4 in the list of poorest countries in the world. This African nation was earlier colonized by the freed slaves of the US but has been suffering from political instability for decades. The continuous Civil War in the country has killed thousands and left 85% of the population living in extreme poverty. This is the only country in Africa which received a self-proclaimed independence and the country didn’t have to revolt for receiving independence. There was a military coup in 1980 and that was the start of an era of political instability. In 2010, Ebola was also spread in the country which added to the problems of the citizen
3. Burundi
Burundi comes next on this list, with a low GDP per capita of $ 814. The country is plagued by civil war and tribal conflicts, besides having poor law and order conditions, lack of educational facilities and widespread disease like AIDS. A large chunk of the population lives below poverty line and suffers from malnutrition. The country got independence from Belgium in July 1962 and the present Constitution of Burundi was established in February 2005. Recently, in 2015, there was a huge political strife in the country and that is one of the major factors that lead to the downfall of the country. The country is very populated and that has led to massive deforestation in the country.
2. The Democratic Republic OF Congo
According to the current statistics, the second on the list of poorest country in the world is the Democratic Republic of Congo, with a miserably low GDP per capita of $ 773. Primarily, the French-speaking country had been devastated by the Second Congo War of 1998, which was the deadliest conflict after World War II, taking toll of 5.5 million lives. It was earlier known as Zaire and the name was changed later. The Congo also has a huge pile of natural resources but because of lack of political stability, most of these natural resources goes unexploited. In the list of Human Development Index, the country has a rank of 176 out of 188 countries.
1. The Central African Republic
With a GDP per capita of $ 652, Central African Republic is the poorest countries in the world. The surprising fact about this miserably poor country is that it is richly endowed with natural resources like uranium, gold, crude oil, and diamonds, but has most of its population living below poverty line. In recent years, the GDP per capita has fallen further. The country received independence on 13 August 1960 and the Republic law was restored in September 1979. The country also has the lowest level of Human Development Index and it ranks 188th on the list of 188 countries.
All these countries are witnessing very poor conditions with extreme poverty and worst standard of facilities.
Santosh Kumar is a Professional SEO and Blogger, With the help of this blog he is trying to share top 10 lists, facts, entertainment news from India and all around the world.