We are kind of aware of the richest countries and the most successful countries. We even know why they are considered successful countries and what are the things that made them a developed countries. A country is often referred to as a developed country if it has wealth and low poverty rates. Suppose it can provide bare minimums to the common people. There are no scarcity of jobs and less trouble than in other countries. We all know their history and stories, but as a world living together, we need to know about the poorest countries that are lacking and still developing or underdeveloped.
So in this article, we are going to talk about the poor countries or the poorest countries and everything you need to know regarding that. So without further ado, let’s get started with our topic.
When Do You Consider a Country as Poor?
Well, I guess you are wondering why we are going in for details. The reason is you need to know the base before actually knowing about the details. For your convenience, I’m breaking it down in easy words for you to understand easily. A country is considered poor, but on what basis? This is a very common question that people ask, and I’ll be answering that in an easy way.
A country is often considered poor according to the calculation of the International Poverty Line. Now further explaining what International Poverty Line is- well, International Poverty Line is a monetary threshold. It calculates a person’s expenses or the way a person lives and then accordingly announces if the person is living in poverty or belongs in the below poverty line. To calculate the International Poverty Line, they take the poverty threshold from each country, considering the value of the goods required for a person to sustain, and then it is converted into dollars. For your information, the current International Poverty Line is $1.90 per day.
Though it considers if a person can eat or can drink, the calculation doesn’t take the account sanitation, electricity, or the minimum living expenses of life.
A Proper Understanding of the International Poverty Line
The bar of the poverty line was set to $1 a day. When purchasing the basics, and all goods consumed are considered in the calculation of this line, it readily allows and permits the organizations to determine a population of a country, whether it is in poverty or not.
World bank plays an important role in detecting these as the world bank sets periodic intervals for the international poverty line. What does it take the accounts to? The cost of basic food, shelter, clothing, etc. In 2008, the line was at $1.25 per day, but gradually it increased to $1.90 per day in 2015. That’s where it’s standing from 2015 to 2022.
Well, in my opinion, as the dollar rate has increased a lot in these years, from 2015 to 2022, the International Poverty Line must also increase.
As of the year 2015, near about 700 million people were living in extreme poverty in the whole world. Scary, isn’t it?
Authenticity or Detection with International Poverty Line
Well, if you consider a country based on International Poverty Line, it can also be misleading and not correct all the time. When you calculate a population with the line or the bar low enough, adding an additional income will not create much of a difference in a person’s daily life or quality of life.
It doesn’t count the indicators of education, health, sanitation, clothing, and all. Definitely, a person doesn’t only eat or live for eating and sleeping. So taking these into account is similarly important.
Poorest Countries in the World
Some of the countries really touched the bar of the total poverty level, and also, most people are living below the poverty line or below the poverty line. It is necessary for a country to provide the bare minimum to the people living in the country. Now you may ask what the amenities that are considered as a bare minimum are! Well, it is proper sanitation, food, of course, health care, and shelter. These are the bare minimum that a person can demand from a country. Now if a country is unable to provide these services that means the country is underdeveloped or poor. Well, I really don’t want to use the word ‘poor’ as in this case of the people who cannot eat and sustain a normal life. It is not complimentary that the country is similarly poor and doesn’t have any developed factors. A developed country is free from economic pressure, poverty, and also inflation. In my opinion, a country should reside in peace, and all the people should get the bare minimum.
The true vision of a world is free from fear, oppression, and poverty, and everyone is respected and valued. That’s the true vision of a world or a country.
The lists of the countries that we’ll provide is severely backstabbed by hunger, the aftermath of a war, poverty, conflict, and also major climate change and some disease also.
There are often times when it gets hard to collect data from some vulnerable countries. In that case, we need to rely on the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) as a ranking factor for all countries wealth.
The countries are ranked by the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and Central Intelligence Agency. They rank the countries on the basis of per-capita GDP. However, the rankings and the lists are just a bit different from one another. GDP ranking means ranking a country’s production with its income as well.
Though we can also focus on the GNI that is, Gross National Income in case of ranking a country.
These are some of the factors that you should know before jumping right into the topic, as it will give you a proper view of the condition of these countries.
Now let’s talk about the poorest countries in the world.
The top poorest countries based on their GNI per capita are –
1. Burundi
Burundi is considered the poorest country in the world, and there’s more reason to it why it is considered one. Burundi gained its Independence 60 years ago, and even after 60 years of Independence, the country is falling far behind the world. Obviously, there are reasons for it. As of 2022 also, the country is considered the poorest country. The political arena and the country’s ups and downs still make it sit below everyone. Till the year 1999, the country lived to different massacres and political assassinations. This made the country weak in its base, and it’s still weak to stand on its own.
Though in the year 2005, the country restored its peace and was trying live happily or with its standards and mark up its existence. The country came into authoritarian governance in the year 2015 and since then, the country has been going through hardships from the beginning itself.
Most probably, the British Colonial Rule at first massacred the political and social framework of the country. Even the economic framework of the country is shaken at first.
It will be hard to believe when I’ll state that present-day Burundi serves as the reservoir of labor for the Belgian-Congo in the west and British colonies in the east. Burundi is a country where approximately 70% of people are associated with the agricultural sector. Burundi has Rwanda as another country in the north and Tanzania to the east. It is one of the most populated countries, with over 12.2 million of population.
The country faced massive economic downhill in the last seventeen years, and then after the pandemic situation, the country suffered a lot. The world is going through inflation, and after the Ukraine war, the price of oil and food will remain increased by 12% in 2022.
As of 2020, the per capita GNI in the current US dollar is $270 for Burundi.
Let’s now move on to the next country that comes after Burundi.
2. Somalia
The next country that resides after Burundi as poorest country in the world is Somalia. Somalia is an East African Country, and the country is considered as second poorest country as of 2022. Somalia is among the country with a higher level of poverty rates. The poverty rate in Somalia is 73 percent. One of the major causes of this poverty lane is the administration and the inability of the government to inspire the people there. Not only that, but the instability of the government is also another reason behind its cause of poverty. There is no proper food and sanitation for people, which leads to health causes for people living there as well. The water and food health there is also poor, which is another reason for poverty. The bare minimum for living is also not bared from that country.
You’ll be shocked to hear that the average life expectancy there is below average and extremely low. A Somali man lives for about 50 years, and a Somali woman lives for about 53-55 years of age. You are shocked, right? Yeah, this is the true picture of a country facing poverty and a lack of proper governance over the years.
Education is just a dream and a luxury for children living in Somalia. Approximately for an about 2 million children are deprived of education which falls under human rights. The country does have a higher illiteracy rate and which again stands as a problem why the country is backward.
In the year 2014, a large number of the population was affected by malaria, and children were affected widely. UNICEF arranged for mosquito nets for them to prevent this disease.
Children in Somalia suffer from malnutrition and severe infant death due to a lack of proper nutrition and food.
The highest poverty and aid rate in Somalia needs an immediate solution with proper recognition of the problem and a proper solution to the problem.
The per capita GNI in the current US dollar is $370.
3. Mozambique
Mozambique is the third poorest country in the world on the list, and now we’ll talk about Mozambique. The country lies in Africa, and the country suffered from massive economic downhill due to the past war that took place in the country. The country for sure made process in recent years, but nothing really changed as the condition was really pathetic. The International Humanitarian Organization provided aid and help in hopes of helping the country get rid of poverty, hunger, and diseases. Still, the country is continuing with its initial stage of suffering.
The civil war in Mozambique took place in the year 1976 and lasted till 1996. As a result of the civil war, about 1 million people were reported dead, and the condition of the country declined gradually. The Infrastructure and the framework of the country were severely destroyed.
Flood is a common problem in Mozambique, and the people there suffer a lot. Clean drinking water in Mozambique is really rare, and honestly, clean drinking water is a basic right that everyone deserves, but it is really a luxury there in Mozambique. The literacy rate in Mozambique is only 47% which is really low, and now you know the major issue of why Mozambique is still lying behind the world.
Education is really important for a country to grow and for people to elect their government accordingly. A country can only stay in the light when the light is education. The death rate is high as well due to low sanitation and hygiene and malaria. Children die there due to this, and the fatality rate is high. Due to floods and drought, the disease spreads widely and making it a hazard for people living there.
The country is also considered to have the 8th highest HIV prevalence in the world! Near about 40,000 people died due to AIDS. Not only malaria, but this is also another hazard for people living there.
The average life expectancy in Mozambique is only 55 years! Which is below average. The country doesn’t have the liability for cleaning water, and people die due to poor hygiene and diseases.
The world is crying; the world is crying. This news is often kept under the cover, and really no one talks about it. How unfortunate and uncertain are the lives of people living there? This is just another plight and cause of poor administration and planning. If this goes on, the country will suffer even more.
Let’s move on to the next country now.
4. Madagascar
Though Madagascar is considered a tourist spot and people love traveling there, the country is also recognized as a poorest country in the world due to a lot of common and also vital reasons. The country achieved Independence in the year 1960, but despite that, the country is still lacking and lying far behind where the world is going ahead. Now everything comes with a generic reason and a cause. What are the causes? Yeah, there are different causes that affect the country’s underdevelopment situation.
The country still runs in a resource extraction economy, and a lack of investment in the industrial sector and trading made Madagascar a retarded country with a low-income rate as well as an economic rate.
Though we talked about the old system, the new President, Marc Ravalomanana, is working on getting rid of the old system and working on the new system. The new system includes developing industrial sectors and collaborating with foreign investments that will help in building sustainable models through resource extraction.
What are the other signs that did affect the country?
Of course, how can I forget about the lack of Infrastructure? The roads of Madagascar are in terrible shape, and obviously, it is filled with potholes and the road is only enough for one single vehicle to pass. Only 11% of roads are paved and during the rainy season, it gets impossible to pass through the roads. Which makes the Infrastructure weak, and the country does suffer a low economy because of its weak Infrastructure.
Just one good thing about Madagascar and that it contains one of the low rates of HIV/AIDS among other African Countries. 75% of the population of Madagascar had a low-income rate. They bring less than $1 every day, which makes 75% of people live in poverty. The rate is really high. Forget about the education of children, Madagascar is also known as a country that has more than average children working for food and the bare minimum. The child labor rate is quite high here. Poverty and hunger push them towards working and earning to live.
You must have read about the scarcity of water in Africa in your books or in stories. Yes, Madagascar suffers from the scarcity of water. Even if they get water, that water is either not suitable for drinking or it needs high filtration. Water is life, and to live a healthy life, water is sufficient for a person to survive.
The GNI per capita income in Madagascar, in dollars, is $480.
5. Sierra Leone
This lists as number 5 of the poorest country in the world. Sierra Leone is a country that lies in West Africa. It comes with a population of 7 million and it gained Independence from British colonies in 1961. This country faced hardships in the past before its Independence, and even after its Independence, it is going through a lot of hardships still now.
The life expectancy in Sierra Leone is really, really low, and you won’t believe a country like this does belong. The life expectancy there for men is 39 years and for women is 42-43 years!! The premature deaths are because of low nutrition, poor quality water, and also different diseases that become a health hazard here. Malnutrition is another cause of death. Only 10% of girls reach higher education levels in Sierra Leone, which is low, and there will be gender inequality lying there still now in 2022.
Unemployment is a great issue in Sierra Leone, which makes half of the youths unemployed. Men aged 15 to 35 are half of the population of this country, and due to the civil war, the country still now lacks jobs to offer. Also, men there are deprived of education and are illiterate still now.
The highest rates of maternal deaths are caused here. In every 10,000 women, 5000 die due to heavy bleeding and infection, and unsafe abortion also sometimes. Most maternal deaths are in teenagers ranging from 15 to 19 years of age.
The country is largely dependent on foreign aid and public investment programs.
The country had 50,000 of its people die in the country due to the civil war that took place in 1991, and millions of people were also displaced.
The GNI per capita in dollars is $490.
6. Afghanistan
The next country which stands as poorest country in the world in the rank 6th is Afghanistan. Afghanistan is a country from South Asia and is also considered an emerging country in the list of countries that are ranked by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
The country wasn’t like this even a few years before, but recently the country is on the brink of disaster, to be very honest. The country is under the reign of the Taliban currently, and the 20 billion economies of the country could just shrink by 20%, pushing the country towards poverty and multiple problems.
The efforts of UNDP are great as it launched ABADIE to combat poverty in Afghanistan. They created a special trust fund in October and expected special aid through that.
Honestly, it makes me sad to write about Afghanistan on this list. The unemployment rate of the country in 2018 was about 24%.
But as of now, 54% of its population falls below the poverty line. The country relies on the agricultural sector mostly, and as a fact, 25% of the country’s GDP depends on that.
There are multiple problems that Afghanistan’s currently facing after the Taliban invaded. Problems like Iodine deficiency, Anemia, malnutrition, poverty, and also breastfeeding problems that are resulting in low nutritive value in children as w
ell.
These are some of the poorest countries in the world, and these are reasons why these countries are still facing backward and need to be treated immediately.
What Can Improve the Condition of Poor Countries?
Despite being a poor country, the zeal to strive towards richness internally and externally is what we would hope for. And for that, a country would have to take up a few steps, which we will talk about in our following segment:
- Development of Industrial sectors over agricultural sectors can aid jobs to the unemployed people and also can improve the condition of people in that case.
- proper drinking water and sanitation are simply crucial for survival.
- seek help from international aid for the health and nutrition of the people.
- free sex education should be given for hygiene and to control the population.
These are some basic steps that can improve the situation a bit.
Final Thoughts
It’s time to wrap up the article on the poorest country in the world. I hope you found this article relevant and helpful. Let us know below your thoughts, and till the next time, take care and stay safe and informed.