The ten countries with the lowest GDP per capita in the world in 2025: what explains this reality

When it comes to the global economy, one indicator catches the attention of analysts and investors: what is the poorest country in the world? This question goes beyond a simple numerical ranking — it reveals cycles of structural poverty, political instability, and challenges affecting billions of people. In this article, we explore the countries with the lowest GDP per capita in 2025 and the economic, social, and political factors that perpetuate this situation.

The data: where is extreme poverty concentrated?

Recent research indicates that the poorest country in the world is South Sudan, with a GDP per capita of approximately US$ 960. However, this reality is not isolated — it is part of a clear geographic pattern.

The ten countries with the lowest GDP per capita (in US dollars):

The concentration of these countries in Sub-Saharan Africa is no coincidence — it reflects structural challenges that span decades.

Why does the poorest country in the world remain in this condition?

Understanding why these countries remain among the poorest requires looking beyond the numbers. Four main factors explain this reality:

Armed conflicts and political instability

Civil wars, coups d’état, and prolonged violence drain public resources, deter international investors, and destroy essential infrastructure. In South Sudan, Somalia, and the Central African Republic, decades of conflict have made it impossible to build strong institutions or viable economies.

Underdeveloped economies

Most of these countries depend on subsistence agriculture or the sale of primary commodities — oil, minerals, agricultural products — without developing industry or the service sector. This lack of diversification makes them extremely vulnerable to international price fluctuations and climate shocks.

Insufficient investment in human development

Education, health, and sanitation infrastructure remain precarious. The consequence is a population with low productivity and limited opportunities for long-term economic growth.

Rapid demographic growth

When the population grows faster than the economy, GDP per capita stagnates or decreases, even if total production increases. This phenomenon intensifies pressure on public services and reduces average income per inhabitant.

Together, these factors create a vicious cycle of structural poverty that is difficult to break.

The poorest country in the world in perspective: specific analyses

South Sudan — the poorest country in the world

Since its independence in 2011, South Sudan has faced ongoing instability. Despite having significant oil reserves, the lack of solid governance prevents this wealth from reaching the population. Ethnic conflicts and the absence of effective institutions keep the nation at the top of global poverty.

Burundi, Central African Republic, and Malawi

Burundi remains rural and agrarian, with structural poverty worsened by decades of instability. The Central African Republic has valuable mineral resources but faces institutional collapse and ongoing population displacement. Malawi, in turn, suffers from dependence on agriculture and vulnerability to droughts intensified by global warming.

Democratic Republic of the Congo and Somalia

Both exemplify a common paradox: natural resource wealth combined with weak governance. Congo has gold, diamonds, and copper, but corruption and armed conflicts prevent benefits from reaching the population. Somalia, after prolonged civil wars, lives without consolidated state institutions and with a predominant informal economy.

Yemen — the exception outside Africa

The only country in the Top 10 located outside Africa, Yemen faces one of the largest contemporary humanitarian crises. The civil war that began in 2014 has destroyed the economy, interrupted access to food and medicine, and left the population in a desperate situation.

What do the data reveal about the poorest country in the world?

Identifying the poorest country in the world is important, but understanding the underlying causes is essential. These numbers expose real global challenges: the difficulty of building resilient institutions, the vulnerability of commodity-dependent economies, and the urgency of sustainable development policies.

For market analysts and investors, this understanding offers valuable insights into geopolitical risks, economic cycles, and market dynamics. Recognizing which countries are the poorest helps map where critical humanitarian challenges exist and where international policies can have the greatest impact.

Learning about the global economic reality — including regions and nations facing the greatest poverty — is a first step toward investing with quality information and understanding complex contexts.