According to IMF forecasts for 2021, Luxembourg has the greatest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita at $131,781.72, while Burundi has the lowest at $265.18. Here are the countries with the lowest per capita income, indicating that they are the poorest in the world.
Which country is the poorest in the world?
Burundi, a small landlocked country ravaged by Hutu-Tutsi ethnic conflict and civil violence, has the terrible distinction of being the poorest country on the planet. Food scarcity is a serious concern, with almost 90 percent of its approximately 12 million residents reliant on subsistence agriculture (with the overwhelming majority of them surviving on $1.25 a day or less), and food insecurity is about twice as high as the norm for Sub-Saharan African countries. Furthermore, access to water and sanitation is still limited, and only about 5% of the population has access to electricity. Needless to say, the epidemic has worsened all of these issues.
How did things get to this point, despite the fact that the civil war officially ended 15 years ago? Infrastructure deficiencies, widespread corruption, and security concerns are all common causes of extreme poverty. In 2005, Pierre Nkurunziza, a charismatic former Hutu rebel who became president, was able to unite the country behind him and begin the process of reconstructing the economy. However, in 2015, his announcement that he would run for a third termwhich the opposition claimed was illegal under the constitutionreignited old feuds. Hundreds of people were killed in fighting, and tens of thousands were internally or externally displaced as a result of the failed coup attempt.
Nkurunziza died in the summer of 2020, at the age of 55, from cardiac arrest, while it is widely assumed that Covid-19 was the true reason. Days later, Evariste Ndayishimiye, an ex-general designated by Nkurunziza to succeed him when his term expired, was sworn in. His track record has been mixed so far. While he, like his predecessor, minimized the virus’s severity, and claims of human rights violations continue to emerge from the country, he made an effort to relaunch the economy and mend diplomatic relations with his African neighbors, particularly the West. His efforts were rewarded: the United States and the European Union recently withdrew financial restrictions imposed in the aftermath of the 2015 political turmoil, resuming aid to Burundi. Could this be a watershed moment for the world’s poorest country?
Who has the lowest per capita income in India?
- It is a measure of the total volume of all commodities and services produced within the state’s borders over a certain time period.
Which country is the most powerful in the world?
In the 2021 Best Countries Report, Canada wins the top overall rank as the world’s number one country for the first time. After coming in second place in the 2020 report, Canada has now eclipsed Switzerland in the 2021 report, with Japan, Germany, Switzerland, and Australia following closely behind.
Why is Tajikistan so impoverished?
Tajikistan is located in Central Asia, between Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, and is surrounded by a vast mountain range. Major oil and natural gas deposits have been discovered in Tajikistan in the last decade, rekindling hopes of reviving the country’s ailing economy and returning economic power to the Tajiks. Tajikistan had roughly 27.4 percent of its population living below the national poverty threshold as of 2018. The following are ten statistics about poverty in Tajikistan:
facts about poverty in Tajikistan
- Not all parts of the country are affected by poverty in the same way. In 2018, the poverty rate in Sugd’s northwest region was 17.5 percent. The Districts of Republican Subordination, just below, had a percentage of almost double that, at 33.2 percent.
- Poverty appears to be more acute in rural Tajikistan than in metropolitan areas. Cotton farming, one of Tajikistan’s principal cash crops, has been demonstrated to do little to reduce poverty levels or lift people out of poverty. Those with non-agricultural occupations in metropolitan regions like as Dushanbe, the capital, might move to Russia to find work. This happens frequently. In 2018, the poverty rate in urban Tajikistan was at 21.5 percent, while rural Tajikistan had a rate of 30.2 percent.
- In Tajikistan, the rate of poverty alleviation has slowed. Poverty rates fell from 83 percent to 31 percent between 2000 and 2015. Since 2014, the annual decrease in the national poverty rate has slowed to 1%.
- The lack of job creation and stagnant pay growth are to blame for the declining rate of poverty alleviation. Due to a lack of new and better opportunities to stimulate the economy, a large portion of the workforce seeks work in Russia, which does little to help Tajikistan’s economy.
- According to reports, 75% of households are concerned about covering their family’s basic needs in the coming year. Tajikistan is the poorest and most remote of the former Soviet Union’s sovereign states. More than 95 percent of households failed to meet the minimal level of food consumption to be considered appropriately sustained, according to the first nationally conducted study since the war ended and Tajikistan attained independence.
- Tajikistan has a high rate of stunting and malnutrition among children, which has been linked to insufficient access to clean water and food. Many families spend more money on drinking water than they can afford. For the 64 percent of Tajiks who live below the national poverty line, this means suffering additional costs on top of a daily income of less than $2.
- There are just 163 places to dwell for every 1000 people. With 1.23 million dwelling units, Tajikistan has the smallest housing stock in Europe and Central Asia. This is largely due to the government’s inability to offer public housing, while private owners lack the financial means to invest in or maintain their houses.
- Tajikistan’s population is 35 percent under the age of 15. This percentage is around 17% among the world’s wealthiest countries. A large number of young people in the population means more difficulties for the rising workforce as they try to make ends meet, especially in a place where the economy may not be able to respond. This might exacerbate Tajikistan’s economic stagnation, with disgruntled young workers fleeing to other countries, as many are already doing.
- It’s possible that up to 40% of Tajiks in Russia are working illegally. Tajikistan is reliant on Russian remittances. This is in addition to Russia’s increasingly stringent administrative procedures for foreign workers. Because of these two factors, the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs’ estimate of one million Tajiks working in Russia per year is suspect. In Tajikistan, between 30 and 40 percent of households have at least one family member working overseas.
- As of 2015, Tajikistan had a literacy rate of 99.8%. Primary education is compulsory, and literacy is strong, albeit young people’s skill levels are declining. This is due to economic needs driving young people away from their education in pursuit of a source of income to help them meet their basic necessities.
Since attaining independence in 1991, Tajikistan has been working its way out of poverty. The country’s over-reliance on remittances, on the other hand, has caused its economy to stagnate. As a result, there is a hungry workforce and a scarcity of jobs to feed them. Gurdofarid is a non-profit organization that aims to empower Tajik women by teaching them the skills they need to find work in their own nation.
Afghanistan
Continual violent strife, government corruption, and widespread income disparity plague this mountainous nation. The Taliban retook control of Afghanistan’s government after the United States and the United Nations withdrew their forces in mid-2021. While the long-term impact of this change on Afghanistan’s economy is unknown, the Taliban’s ongoing conflicts with ISIL, as well as its forcible closure of female-owned businesses and refusal to allow girls to attend school, are widely seen as conditions unlikely to lead to a more robust and stable economy.
North Korea
Although North Korea may be Asia’s poorest country, the country’s notoriously secretive leadership rarely provides data, so economists must rely heavily on expert estimates. The authoritarian regime’s weak governance is blamed for North Korea’s poverty. In North Korea, the free market is almost non-existent. According to estimates, around 60% of North Korea’s population would be poor by 2020.
Nepal
Political instability and corruption, a lack of industry, and a reliance on agriculture are all factors contributing to Nepal’s poverty. Despite its abundance of natural resources, Nepal has not taken advantage of them by exporting them to other countries.
Tajikistan
Tajikistan is routinely ranked as Asia’s second or third poorest country by most measures. Tajikistan’s economy is stalled due to a lack of infrastructure. Tajikistan has one of the world’s largest remittance economies, since many competent people leave the nation in quest of better job prospects. In addition, during the 1990s, Tajikistan’s civil conflict destroyed almost one-fifth of the country’s schools, robbing children of their right to an education, which is one of the most important factors in alleviating poverty.
Yemen
Yemen is ranked 168th out of 177 countries on the UN’s Human Development Index (HDI), indicating that it is one of the world’s poorest countries. Yemen’s poverty arises from the country’s protracted civil war, corruption, and mismanagement of the economy. As a result of the civil conflict, an increasing number of Yemenis are living in poverty. Approximately 79 percent of the population is poor, with 65 percent classified as extremely poor.
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan is Asia’s fifth poorest country in terms of GDP per capita (current US$). Around 32% of Kyrgyzstan’s population lives in poverty. The country’s reliance on agriculture, as well as disparities in knowledge and resources among its people, are the main reasons of poverty in Kyrgyzstan. Kyrgyzstan also has few natural resources that are appealing to the rest of the world, with cotton and tobacco being the only products it can export. Furthermore, many parts of Kyrgyzstan lack basic banking and financial services, which discourages people from investing and slows economic progress.
Cambodia
Cambodia has a scarcity of human resources and a widening wealth gap. Despite recent economic gains, the country remains impoverished, and the government has done little to develop the infrastructure needed to raise millions of people out of poverty.
Myanmar
Around 26% of Myanmar’s population lives in poverty, with rural areas accounting for 70% of the country’s population. Poor government planning, internal unrest, a lack of foreign investment, a huge trade deficit, and insufficient infrastructure and know-how to take advantage of the country’s natural resources are the key contributors to slow economic growth.
Syria
Because Syria rarely releases official economic data, economists must rely on their best guesses, which depict a grim picture. As of 2017, almost 80% of Syrians lived in poverty or near poverty, a 45 percent rise from 2007. The Syrian Civil War, which has destroyed health-care infrastructure and educational facilities, is the primary reason of the significant rise in poverty. Education is one of the best ways out of poverty, but due to the conflict, about half of Syrian children no longer attend school. Syria has also seen extremely high inflation in recent years, hitting a high of 121.29 percent in 2014.
Pakistan
Despite Pakistan’s abundant natural resources, about 40% of the country’s population lives in abject poverty. Government corruption and elitism, religious and secular conflict, and a lack of democratic values are all factors contributing to this dysfunction. The government also spends the majority of its national budget on defense, with education accounting for only 2.6 percent of its overall GDP. As a result, about half of Pakistan’s population is illiterate.
India
Despite being the world’s fifth-largest economy in terms of GDP, roughly 21% of India’s population (269 million people) lives in poverty. Poverty in India is caused by illiteracy, gender discrimination, unequal economic distribution, and the country’s rapidly growing population.
Uzbekistan
Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic, is a promising producer of commodities such as gold, copper, uranium, petroleum gas, cotton, and grapes. However, because to widespread governmental corruption, the earnings from these industries mostly benefit a small group of citizens. Economists believe corruption, as well as the income inequality it causes, to be a key impediment to the country’s progress out of poverty.
Timor-Leste
This half-island republic in the South Pacific (which may easily be regarded part of Oceania rather than Asia) is still growing after only gaining independence from Indonesia in 2002. Despite the fact that Timor-Leste (formerly known as East Timor) exports a lot of coffee, as well as marble, sandalwood, and an increasing amount of oil and gas, many of its people still rely on subsistence farming. Additional barriers to economic progress are typically highlighted as a rudimentary judicial system, a low but improving adult literacy rate, and particularly weak telecommunications infrastructure.
Is Pakistan a developing nation?
While Pakistan is one of Asia’s wealthiest countries, poverty remains a reality for the majority of its citizens. The fact that many Pakistanis lack basic human rights is the main reason of the country’s poverty rate. Many Pakistanis, particularly women and children, beg on the streets across the country.
What causes Zimbabwe’s poverty?
Zimbabwe was once a burgeoning African economy, propelled forward by its mining and agricultural industries. Zimbabweans, on the other hand, are currently dealing with conflict, internal corruption, hyperinflation, and industrial mismanagement. A thorough examination of the country sheds light on the country’s poor situation.
Facts About Poverty in Zimbabwe
- As of 2020, poverty affects 76.3 percent of Zimbabwean youngsters in rural areas.
- Approximately 74% of the population lives on less than $5.50 per day, while the average monthly pay is $253.
- Half of Zimbabwe’s 13.5 million people are food insecure, with 3.5 million children suffering from chronic hunger.
- As of 2016, over 1.3 million Zimbabweans were infected with HIV. However, thanks to advancements in HIV prevention, treatment, and support services, the incidence of HIV cases has been falling since 1997.
- Period poverty affects over 60% of rural Zimbabwean women, who lack access to menstruation products and knowledge. Period poverty is projected to cause girls to miss 20% of their schooling.
- As of 2018, the average life expectancy for a Zimbabwean was only 61 years due to starvation and the HIV/AIDS catastrophe. However, since 2002, when it was only 44 years, life expectancy has significantly increased.
- Due to the effects of the drought, two million Zimbabweans were without safe drinking water in 2019.
- Education receives a major amount of the national budget from the government. As a result, Zimbabwe has one of the highest adult literacy rates in Africa, at 89 percent.
Why Poverty is Rampant in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s economy has been mostly reliant on its mining and agricultural industries since its independence in 1980. The Great Dyke, the world’s second-largest platinum deposit, is located in Zimbabwe, giving the country’s mining industry enormous potential. Furthermore, Zimbabwe has around 4,000 gold resources.
The country’s mining sector, on the other hand, is inefficient, with gold output dropping 30% in the first quarter of 2021. While illegal gold mining is bad for the business, Zimbabwe’s loose mining licensing regulations allow foreign companies to mine minerals for years at a low cost, resulting in a lack of incentive to increase mineral production.
Furthermore, the Zimbabwean government’s choice to back the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Second Congo War depleted the country’s bank reserves, alienated allies, and resulted in sanctions from the United States and the European Union. Zimbabwe’s economy crumbled as a result. As a result, the government began printing additional money, resulting in widespread Zimbabwean dollar hyperinflation.
NGOs Combating Poverty in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe’s situation is improving. Higher agricultural production, increased energy production, and the restoration of industry and construction activity could boost Zimbabwe’s GDP by approximately 3% in 2021. Unemployment rates are expected to continue to fall. The increase is mostly due to intensified immunization efforts, with China providing the country with two million doses of COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition, a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are battling poverty in Zimbabwe. Talia’s Women’s Network, for example, aims to alleviate period poverty in the country’s rural areas by assisting 250 girls in obtaining menstruation products. The project also aims to educate the girls with knowledge of the menstrual cycle as well as access to resources to help them avoid early marriage, gender-based violence, and unwanted pregnancies.
In Zimbabwe, another charity, Action Change, provides lunch to 400 elementary school kids. It also attempts to break the cycle of poverty by supplying educational materials. Zimbabwe spends 93 percent of the projected $905 million it sets up for education on employment costs, leaving only around 7% for classroom materials. Action Change gives textbooks and other resources to schools.
The American Foundation for Children with AIDS provides livestock and food self-sufficiency training to 3,000 AIDS-affected children and their guardians. In the meanwhile, the group provides tools and training to combat food insecurity and guarantee that children have a healthy diet.
Stimulating the Agriculture Industry
In order to alleviate poverty in Zimbabwe, the country’s agricultural industry must be stimulated. The existence of about 66 percent of Zimbabweans is dependent on their tiny farms. However, there is a significant disparity in water access between the numerous small farms and the few major commercial farms in the country. Small farmers’ production and income would increase if they had equal access to water. In Zimbabwe, reviving the agricultural sector will boost economic growth and alleviate poverty.
Although there are still obstacles to overcome before the country can genuinely abolish poverty, it has enormous potential to become an African superpower.
Which Indian state is the poorest?
Nov. 26th, New Delhi: According to the NITI Aayog’s Multidimensional Poverty Index, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh are the poorest states in India (MPI). According to the MPI, 51.91 percent of Bihar’s population is poor, making it the poorest state in the country.
Which Indian state is the wealthiest?
Maharashtra is India’s richest state. Mumbai, the state capital, is also known as the country’s economic hub. Maharashtra’s total GDP is 27.96 lakh crores. It is the country’s third most urbanized state, with 45 percent of the people living in cities. Maharashtra ranks first among India’s wealthiest states.