Even though worldwide wealth is increasing — it rose more than 3% to $80.68 trillion in 2017 — not all of the regions are experiencing the same level of affluence. North America has less than than 5% of the global population, yet the region accounts for about one-fourth of global gross domestic product. On the other hand, nearly 25% of the world’s population lives in South Asia, but the region’s economic activity accounts for less than 4% of global GDP.
GDP may be the standard method for gauging the size of a particular country or region’s economy, but it does not account for all of the wealth generated by that nation. A more accurate indicator of a country’s economic output is its gross national income, or GNI. This measure captures all economic activity within a nation’s borders in addition to wealth created by nationally owned entities that operate in other countries.
Using data from the World Bank, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the GNI per capita of about 180 nations to identify the 25 poorest countries. We also included life expectancy at birth from the World Bank, as well as GDP from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The world’s poorest countries share some characteristics that may contribute to their impoverished state. All but three of the countries on this list are located in sub-Saharan Africa. Many of these countries are landlocked and are mostly characterized by agriculturally based economies that struggle with the effects of desertification. Many of the nations on the list are rich in resources and susceptible to boom-and-bust economic cycles. Resources-based economies can also be among the most corrupt. Conditions in the world’s most impoverished countries are reflected in their life expectancies. No nation on this list has a life expectancy at birth that exceeds the global average of 72.0 years
Click here to see the 25 poorest countries in the world.
Source: adelaide_archivist / Flickr
25. Solomon Islands
> GNI per capita: $2,270
> 2017 GDP: $1.48 billion (173rd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2014): 610,000
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 70.7 years
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Source: peeterv / Getty Images
24. Benin
> GNI per capita: $2,260
> 2017 GDP: $25.33 billion (135th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 11.13 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 60.9 years
Source: CDC Global / Flickr
23. Guinea
> GNI per capita: $2,180
> 2017 GDP: $27.91 billion (132nd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2014): 12.97 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 60.0 years
Source: oversnap / Getty Images
22. Mali
> GNI per capita: $2,160
> 2017 GDP: $41.00 billion (111st out of 185 countries)
> Population (2013): 18.89 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 58.0 years
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Source: Thinkstock
21. Afghanistan
> GNI per capita: $2,000
> 2017 GDP: $70.37 billion (98th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 35.53 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 63.7 years
Source: RyanFaas / Getty Images
20. Rwanda
> GNI per capita: $1,990
> 2017 GDP: $24.85 billion (136th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2012): 11.84 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 67.1 years
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Source: yoh4nn / Getty Images
19. Chad
> GNI per capita: $1,920
> 2017 GDP: $28.92 billion (127th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2004): 12.19 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 52.9 years
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Source: HomoCosmicos / Getty Images
18. Ethiopia
> GNI per capita: $1,890
> 2017 GDP: $199.34 billion (62nd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 92.66 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 65.5 years
Source: Tamer_Desouky / Getty Images
17. Zimbabwe
> GNI per capita: $1,850
> 2017 GDP: $34.48 billion (122nd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2012): 14.88 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 61.2 years
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Source: Thinkstock
16. Haiti
> GNI per capita: $1,830
> 2017 GDP: $19.93 billion (142nd out of 185 countries)
> Population (0): 10.98 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 63.3 years
Source: Dennis Wegewijs / Getty Images
15. Uganda
> GNI per capita: $1,820
> 2017 GDP: $79.89 billion (91st out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 37.67 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 59.9 years
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Source: mtcurado / Getty Images
14. Burkina Faso
> GNI per capita: $1,810
> 2017 GDP: $35.89 billion (119th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 19.19 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 60.4 years
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Source: 70268842@N00 / Flickr
13. Guinea-Bissau
> GNI per capita: $1,700
> 2017 GDP: $3.16 billion (166th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 1.70 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 57.4 years
Source: HomoCosmicos / iStock
12. The Gambia
> GNI per capita: $1,670
> 2017 GDP: $3.60 billion (163rd out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 2.10 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 61.2 years
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Source: Thinkstock
11. Togo
> GNI per capita: $1,620
> 2017 GDP: $12.24 billion (147th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 7.80 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 60.2 years
Source: davidstanleytravel / Flickr
10. Comoros
> GNI per capita: $1,570
> 2017 GDP: $1.26 billion (176th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2015): 830,000
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 63.7 years
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Source: Thinkstock
9. Madagascar
> GNI per capita: $1,510
> 2017 GDP: $39.76 billion (115th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2010): 25.61 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 65.9 years
Source: Thinkstock
8. Sierra Leone
> GNI per capita: $1,480
> 2017 GDP: $11.53 billion (151st out of 185 countries)
> Population (2017): 7.41 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 51.8 years
Source: Thinkstock
7. Mozambique
> GNI per capita: $1,200
> 2017 GDP: $37.01 billion (116th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2015): 29.54 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 58.3 years
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Source: Robert_Ford / Getty Images
6. Malawi
> GNI per capita: $1,180
> 2017 GDP: $22.39 billion (139th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2016): 19.17 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 63.2 years
Source: Roland Huziaker / Wikimedia Commons
5. Niger
> GNI per capita: $990
> 2017 GDP: $21.83 billion (140th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2009): 18.76 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 60.1 years
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Source: zongo / Flickr
4. Democratic Republic of the Congo
> GNI per capita: $870
> 2017 GDP: $72.17 billion (94th out of 185 countries)
> Population (1983): 86.65 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 59.6 years
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Source: mtcurado / Getty Images
3. Burundi
> GNI per capita: $770
> 2017 GDP: $8.38 billion (155th out of 185 countries)
> Population (0): 10.87 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 57.5 years
Source: ANDREYGUDKOV / Getty Images
2. Central African Republic
> GNI per capita: $730
> 2017 GDP: $03.38 billion (164th out of 185 countries)
> Population (2004): 4.98 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 52.2 years
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Source: IlonaBudzbon / Getty Images
1. Liberia
> GNI per capita: $710
> 2017 GDP: $3.91 billion (161st out of 185 countries)
> Population (2009): 4.73 million
> Life expectancy at birth in 2016: 62.5 years
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