Burundi: Burundi is the, 2020, poorest country in the world. Its gross national income (GNI) per capita is just $780, as compared to a worldwide GNI per capita of $17,591. Currently, Burundi is the only country in the world with a GNI per capita below $1,000. More than 70% of its population, over 8 million people, lives on $1.90 per day or less.
Central African Republic: The Central African Republic is the second poorest country in the world, and has the second lowest GNI per capita, at a little over $1,000. Associated with low GNI is health, the Central African Republic has among the worst health outcomes in the world. It has the lowest life expectancy at birth of any country at 52.8 years, nearly two decades lower than the worldwide average life expectancy. It also has the highest infant mortality rate, at 84.5 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Malawi: Malawi is the third poorest country in the world with a GNI per capita of $1,080. More than 70% of the nation’s residents live on $1.90 per day or less. Malawi is a dominantly rural country with a fragile economy that relies on agriculture. Nearly 83% of the country lives in rural areas, and tobacco accounts for more than two-thirds of its total annual export value.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: The fourth poorest country in the world, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is rich in valuable mineral resources. But violence and a civil war that has resulted in millions of deaths and government corruption has overtaken the country. The country ranks among the poorest in the world with a GNI per capita of just $1,110.
Niger: The fifth poorest country in the world exported just $539 million of goods in 2018, less than the vast majority of other countries. Gold accounted for over $300 million worth of these exports, with much of the rest coming from agricultural products. More than 83% of Niger’s population lives in rural areas, and its economy is more reliant on agriculture than almost any other nations. 38.2% of its GDP comes from agriculture, forestry, or fishing. Niger’s GNI per capita is one of the lowest in the world, at $1,250.
