The World's 10 Poorest Countries in 2026

When we talk about the poorest country in the world, we're looking at nations where millions struggle to survive on less than a few dollars per day. Understanding global poverty isn't just about statistics – it's about recognizing the human cost of economic inequality that affects 808 million people worldwide as of 2026. Most of these individuals are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, where conflict, climate change, and weak institutions create devastating cycles of poverty. To accurately compare poverty levels across countries, economists use GDP per capita adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP), which accounts for local price differences. By this measure, South Sudan ranks as the poorest nation globally, with a GDP per capita of just $716. This stark reality highlights why understanding global poverty matters for anyone interested in international economics, humanitarian issues, or simply grasping how interconnected our world truly is.

South Sudan holds the unfortunate distinction of being the poorest country in the world, with a per capita income that barely covers basic survival needs.

Despite gaining independence in 2011 with hopes for a brighter future, the nation has been devastated by brutal civil wars that have torn apart its social and economic fabric.

A staggering 80% of the population lives below the poverty line, while 92% are classified as multidimensionally poor ( lacking access to education, healthcare, and basic services).

Inflation reached a crushing 128% in 2024, making even essential goods unaffordable for most families. The country suffers from what economists call the "resource curse," where oil wealth (accounting for 90% of government revenue) has fueled conflict rather than prosperity.

Constant warfare disrupts oil exports and destroys traditional agricultural systems that families depend on for survival.

Climate events like floods and droughts compound these challenges, leaving millions facing acute hunger and displacement.

Yemen's devastating position as the second-poorest country reflects the catastrophic impact of nearly a decade of civil war that has transformed what was already one of the Arab world's most impoverished nations into a humanitarian disaster zone.

The ongoing conflict between the Saudi-backed government and Houthi rebels has claimed over 150,000 lives while systematically destroying the country's economic infrastructure and pushing 80% of the population below the poverty line.

Oil exports, which once served as Yemen's primary economic lifeline, have virtually collapsed due to damaged infrastructure and continued hostilities, while government revenues have plummeted by more than 70% since the war began.

The humanitarian crisis has reached unprecedented levels, with over 21 million people – nearly two-thirds of the population – requiring humanitarian assistance and protection services to survive.

Yemen's healthcare system has largely disintegrated, leaving millions vulnerable to preventable diseases, while contaminated water sources have triggered repeated cholera outbreaks that have infected over one million people.

Food insecurity affects more than half the population, with acute malnutrition rates among children reaching emergency thresholds in many regions, creating a lost generation whose development has been permanently stunted by conflict and deprivation.

Afghanistan's position as the third-poorest country reflects the catastrophic economic collapse that followed the Taliban's return to power in August 2021, which triggered an immediate freeze of international aid and foreign assets worth $9.5 billion.

The economy has contracted by an estimated 30% since the Taliban takeover, while unemployment has soared to over 40%, leaving millions of families without any source of income in a country where 95% of the population lacks sufficient food.

Women and girls bear a disproportionate burden of this crisis, as Taliban restrictions have banned them from most jobs and education, effectively removing half the workforce from an already devastated economy.

The humanitarian situation has reached desperate levels, with 28.8 million people, nearly 70% of the population, requiring humanitarian assistance to survive, making Afghanistan home to the world's largest humanitarian crisis.

Banking system restrictions have paralyzed commerce and prevented even basic transactions, while the collapse of development projects has eliminated hundreds of thousands of jobs that families depended on.

Drought and climate disasters compound these man-made crises, destroying crops and livestock that provide the last lifeline for rural communities already pushed to the brink of survival.

Burundi's position as the fourth-poorest country globally reflects the devastating impact of decades-long civil conflicts that have systematically destroyed economic infrastructure and displaced millions of people from productive activities.

Despite being roughly the size of Maryland, this landlocked East African nation struggles to support 13.7 million people on limited arable land, creating intense competition for resources and contributing to recurring cycles of violence.

The economy remains overwhelmingly dependent on subsistence agriculture, which employs 80% of the population but generates barely enough income to survive, with most families living on less than $1.90 per day.

Political instability has scared away foreign investors and international aid organizations, while government corruption has diverted scarce resources away from essential services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure development.

Burundi suffers from one of the world's highest population densities relative to arable land, meaning each family typically farms less than one acre, insufficient to provide adequate nutrition or generate surplus income.

The country's isolation from major trade routes and lack of natural resources beyond agriculture have created a poverty trap where economic opportunities remain extremely limited for the vast majority of citizens.

The Central African Republic (CAR) ranks as the fifth-poorest country globally, trapped in a devastating cycle of conflict and institutional collapse that has persisted for over a decade.

Since 2013, sectarian violence between Christian and Muslim militias has torn apart the social fabric, displacing over one million people and destroying what little economic infrastructure existed.

The country's vast mineral wealth, including diamonds, gold, and uranium, has become a curse rather than a blessing, fueling armed groups and corruption while ordinary citizens see no benefit from these resources.

CAR's government controls less than half of its own territory, with armed groups occupying diamond mines and smuggling routes that could otherwise generate desperately needed tax revenue.

The economy has contracted by more than 30% since the conflict began, while 71% of the population now lives below the poverty line, surviving on less than $1.90 per day.

International peacekeeping forces have struggled to restore stability, and the humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with 3.4 million people requiring emergency assistance in a country of just 5.5 million inhabitants.

Madagascar's position as the sixth-poorest country highlights how geographic isolation and political instability can trap even resource-rich nations in persistent poverty cycles.

Despite being the world's fourth-largest island with abundant natural resources including vanilla, cobalt, and precious stones, over 75% of Madagascar's 30 million people survive on less than $1.90 per day.

Recurring political crises and coups have scared away foreign investment and disrupted economic development, while weak governance has allowed widespread corruption to divert resources away from essential public services.

The country faces severe climate vulnerabilities, with cyclones, droughts, and floods regularly destroying crops and infrastructure, pushing rural communities deeper into food insecurity and malnutrition.

Madagascar's economy remains heavily dependent on agriculture, which employs 80% of the workforce but generates minimal income due to outdated farming techniques and limited access to markets.

The island's unique biodiversity, while globally significant, has been threatened by deforestation driven by poverty, as families clear forests for farmland and charcoal production to survive.

Malawi's position as the seventh-poorest country demonstrates how geographic disadvantages and climate vulnerability can trap landlocked nations in persistent poverty despite relative political stability.

This small southeastern African nation depends almost entirely on rain-fed agriculture, which employs 80% of the population but generates barely enough income to survive, with most families earning less than $2 per day from small-scale farming.

Recurring droughts and floods have devastated crop yields in recent years, pushing food insecurity to crisis levels and forcing 4.8 million people to require humanitarian assistance in a country of just 20 million inhabitants.

Malawi's economy relies heavily on tobacco exports, which account for over 50% of foreign exchange earnings, but global health campaigns and declining demand have severely reduced prices and government revenues.

The country faces a severe foreign currency shortage that has made it difficult to import essential goods like fuel and fertilizer, while high population density has led to overfarming and soil degradation that reduces agricultural productivity.

Despite these challenges, Malawi has maintained democratic governance and avoided the armed conflicts that plague many neighboring countries, providing a foundation for potential economic recovery if climate adaptation and agricultural modernization can be achieved.

North Korea's position among the world's poorest countries reflects the devastating economic impact of decades-long international sanctions and a rigid command economy that prioritizes military spending over basic human needs.

The hermit kingdom's GDP per capita of just $640 masks extreme inequality, where the ruling elite in Pyongyang live in relative luxury while rural populations face chronic malnutrition and lack access to basic services like electricity and clean water.

International sanctions imposed due to nuclear weapons development have severely restricted trade and foreign investment, while the government's "Juche" ideology of self-reliance has isolated the economy from global markets and technological advancement.

An estimated 40% of North Korea's 26 million people are undernourished, with the UN reporting that stunting affects one in five children under five years old due to persistent food shortages and limited agricultural productivity.

The country's economy remains heavily dependent on coal mining and textile manufacturing, but sanctions have blocked most export opportunities, forcing many citizens to rely on black market activities and informal trade with China to survive.

Despite possessing significant mineral resources including coal, iron ore, and rare earth elements, North Korea's economic potential remains locked away by political isolation and a system that diverts an estimated 25% of GDP to military expenditures.

Eritrea's position as the ninth-poorest country reflects the devastating impact of authoritarian rule and international isolation that has transformed what could have been a prosperous Red Sea nation into one of Africa's most repressive and economically stagnant states.

The country operates under one of the world's most brutal dictatorships, where indefinite military conscription forces citizens into unpaid labor for decades, effectively creating a system of modern slavery that has driven hundreds of thousands to flee their homeland.

Eritrea's economy remains largely cut off from international markets due to UN sanctions and the government's hostile relationships with neighboring countries, while domestic businesses struggle under heavy state control and arbitrary regulations that stifle entrepreneurship.

The nation's strategic location along the Red Sea shipping lanes and significant mineral deposits including gold, copper, and potash represent untapped economic potential that remains locked away by political repression and international isolation.

Humanitarian organizations have virtually no access to assess conditions inside Eritrea, but refugees report widespread food shortages, lack of basic services, and economic desperation that forces families to risk dangerous journeys across deserts and seas to escape.

Despite achieving independence in 1993 after a 30-year liberation struggle, Eritrea has become a cautionary tale of how authoritarian governance can trap even resource-rich nations in poverty and international isolation.

Mozambique's position as the tenth-poorest country demonstrates how natural disasters and insurgent violence can devastate even nations with significant natural resource potential, including vast offshore natural gas reserves worth billions of dollars.

The country has been battered by recurring cyclones and floods that regularly destroy infrastructure and agricultural production, while an Islamic insurgency in the northern Cabo Delgado province has displaced over 800,000 people and halted lucrative gas extraction projects.

Despite possessing some of the world's largest untapped natural gas reserves, Mozambique remains trapped in poverty with 65% of its 33 million people living below the poverty line and lacking access to basic services like electricity and clean water.

The economy depends heavily on agriculture, which employs 70% of the workforce but remains vulnerable to climate shocks, while corruption and weak governance have prevented resource wealth from benefiting ordinary citizens.

Major international energy companies have invested over $60 billion in gas projects, but security concerns and infrastructure challenges have delayed production, leaving communities without the promised economic benefits.

The humanitarian crisis continues to worsen, with 4.3 million people requiring emergency assistance, while the combination of conflict, climate disasters, and economic instability threatens to push even more families into extreme poverty.

The world's poorest countries face an unprecedented humanitarian crisis in 2026, with Sudan alone having more people in famine conditions than anywhere else on Earth and requiring $4.2 billion in emergency aid.

This crisis has been severely worsened by dramatic cuts to foreign assistance budgets from traditional donor countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other wealthy nations that have historically provided crucial humanitarian support.

The USAID shutdown has particularly devastating consequences, affecting healthcare access for 95 million people and education for 23 million children across the globe's most vulnerable regions.

International humanitarian organizations report a staggering $25 billion funding gap that emerged in 2024 and has doubled in 2025, leaving aid workers unable to respond to critical needs.

The impact is visible in stark statistics: 80% of communal kitchens in Sudan have been forced to close, leaving families without their last source of nutrition.

This funding collapse comes precisely when climate disasters, conflicts, and economic shocks have pushed more people into extreme poverty than at any time in recent history.

The combination of increased need and decreased resources has created a perfect storm that threatens to reverse decades of progress in global poverty reduction.

The reality of the world's poorest countries reveals a sobering truth: 808 million people living in extreme poverty represents not just a moral crisis, but a threat to global stability and prosperity.

South Sudan, Burundi, Central African Republic, Yemen, and Mozambique exemplify how conflict, climate change, weak governance, and economic shocks can trap entire nations in cycles of poverty that span generations.

These countries share common challenges, from humanitarian crises and food insecurity to collapsed infrastructure and limited access to basic services.

Breaking these poverty cycles requires transformative international commitments, including increased development finance, sustained conflict resolution efforts, comprehensive climate adaptation support, and long-term institutional strengthening programs.

Without urgent intervention, these nations face deepening humanitarian crises that could trigger mass displacement and regional instability.

For readers in wealthy countries, understanding global poverty isn't just about compassion, it's about recognizing how economic inequality affects international stability, migration patterns, trade relationships, and our interconnected global economy.

The fight against extreme poverty ultimately benefits everyone through increased stability, expanded markets, and shared prosperity.