Economic Portrait 2025: The Poorest Nations on the Planet

In 2025, the wealth gap between nations remains abyssal. An analysis of GDP per capita reveals an alarming concentration of poverty, particularly in West and Central Africa.

The world’s poorest nations: a map of precariousness

South Sudan remains the poorest country with only $251 per capita, followed by Yemen (417 $, and Burundi )490 $. This triad ranks at the bottom of the global income per capita list.

The Central African Republic (532 $, Malawi )580 $, and Madagascar (595 $ complete the top six positions. Sudan )625 $, Mozambique (663 $, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo )743 $ continue this gradual climb toward slightly higher incomes.

African concentration of extreme poverty

Among the poorest countries, Sub-Saharan Africa dominates overwhelmingly. Niger (751 $, Somalia )766 $, and Nigeria (807 $ form a bloc of fragile economies. Liberia )908 $, Sierra Leone (916 $, and Mali )936 $ record comparable figures.

More than thirty nations on the African continent are among the fifty poorest countries in the world, a direct illustration of the structural challenges of regional development.

Beyond absolute poverty: progressive thresholds

Between $1,000 and $2,000 per capita, there are fragile economies but slightly less precarious. Rwanda (1,043 $, Togo )1,053 $, Ethiopia (1,066 $, and Lesotho )1,098 $ are at this intermediate level.

Myanmar (1,177 $, Tanzania )1,280 $, and Zambia (1,332 $ show slow progress. Uganda )1,338 $, Tajikistan (1,432 $, and Nepal )1,458 $ reinforce this upward trend.

The upper fringe of the poorest countries

The $2,000 threshold begins to emerge with nations like Timor-Leste (1,491 $, Benin )1,532 $, Comoros (1,702 $, and Senegal )1,811 $.

Cameroon (1,865 $, Guinea )1,904 $, and Laos (2,096 $ cross this symbolic barrier, while Zimbabwe )2,199 $, Congo (2,356 $, and Kenya )2,468 $ are close to $2,500, marking the upper end of this segment of the world’s poorest countries.

Mauritania (2,478 $, Ghana )2,519 $, and Bangladesh (2,689 $ close this panorama, with India )2,878 $ being the last entrant on this revealing list.

Perspectives: the urgency of development

These raw figures mask a much darker reality: inflation, deficient public services, and limited access to essential resources. The poorest countries face major structural challenges requiring coordinated and sustainable intervention.