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?
What causes Burundi’s poverty?
The economy of Burundi is primarily based on agriculture, which accounted for 32.9 percent of GDP in 2008. Burundi is a landlocked country with limited resources and an underdeveloped manufacturing sector. Agriculture employs more than 70% of the workforce, with the bulk comprising subsistence farmers.
Despite the fact that Burundi has the ability to be self-sufficient in food production, persistent civil strife, overpopulation, and soil erosion have all led to the subsistence economy contracting by 25% in recent years. Large numbers of internally displaced people are unable to generate their own food and rely heavily on foreign humanitarian aid. In 1997, food accounted for 17 percent of Burundi’s imports, making it a net food importer.
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.
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 country is the poorest?
According to Morgunblai, Iceland has the lowest poverty rate among the OECD’s 38 member countries. The OECD defines the poverty rate as “the ratio of the number of people (in a specific age group) whose income falls below the poverty line; divided by half the entire population’s median household income.”
Is South Sudan a poor country?
On July 9, 2011, the Republic of South Sudan became the world’s newest country and Africa’s 55th. Conflicts erupted again in December 2013 and July 2016, undermining the progress made in development since independence and worsening the humanitarian crisis. As a result, a decade after independence, South Sudan remains mired in a web of fragility, economic stagnation, and instability. Poverty exists everywhere, and it is exacerbated by intercommunal conflict, displacement, and external shocks.
The signing of the most recent cease-fire in September 2018 and the subsequent formation of a unity government in February 2020 has given rise to a lot of optimism for recovery and peacebuilding. In 2019, the number of conflict incidents decreased dramatically, allowing some refugees who had previously been dispersed in the region to return. At the same time, the restoration of oil production in oil fields that had been closed due to conflict had fuelled hopes for an oil-led revival. However, with rising incidences of subnational violence in 2020 and the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic worsening an already severe situation, the country stands the possibility of losing these accomplishments.
The cumulative impacts of years of conflict have destroyed people’s livelihoods, leaving South Sudan in a catastrophic humanitarian catastrophe. Acute food insecurity is still widespread across the country, with almost 7.2 million people (about half of the population) experiencing crisis-level food insecurity, with 1.4 million children under the age of five predicted to be chronically malnourished by 2021. The humanitarian catastrophe has displaced approximately 4 million people, with nearly 1.6 million internally displaced and 2.2 million refugees in six bordering countries. Women and children are still the ones that suffer the most. The triple shock of heightened conflict and sub-national violence, a second consecutive year of catastrophic flooding, and the effects of COVID-19 hit communities hard in 2020, exacerbating an already dire humanitarian catastrophe.
People were unable to return home in large numbers due to insecurity, a lack of essential amenities, and unresolved housing, land, and property concerns. In 2021, it is anticipated that 8.3 million people in South Sudan will require humanitarian aid. There are 8 million nationalities and 310,000 refugees and asylum seekers among them. In absolute terms, this is an increase of 800,000 persons from the 7.5 million people in need in 2020. The rise in requirements is mostly due to increased food insecurity.
The South Sudanese economy is particularly vulnerable to weather, oil price, and conflict-related shocks, as recent events have demonstrated.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy had perked up significantly, with GDP growth reaching 9.5 percent in FY2019/20. The oil sector has been the main driver of growth, with expected oil output of 62.1 million barrels in FY2019/20, up 26.5 percent from the 49.1 million barrels achieved in FY2018/19. The cultivated area in the agricultural sector expanded by 6% in 2020 compared to the previous year, but it is still far from pre-conflict levels. However, as the pandemic interrupted livelihoods, living standards plummeted. According to high-frequency surveys performed in June 2020, 51.2 percent of respondents reported lower earnings from their primary source of income. Since then, things have improved slightly, with 50.7 percent of respondents reporting lower salaries by October 2020.
Health, education, water and sanitation, as well as agriculture and rural development, are among the important socioeconomic sectors where spending is limited.
Nonetheless, the government’s forthcoming budget is likely to increase spending on health, education, and social assistance significantly.
As a result of acute food insecurity and restricted access to basic services across the country, poverty levels are anticipated to remain exceedingly high. According to the most recent estimates, almost 82 percent of South Sudan’s population is poor, based on the $1.90 2011 purchasing power parity poverty line.
The government’s top priority are to address the conflict’s root causes and to stabilize the economy. The government has hastened discussions on important measures aimed at bolstering the economy in the face of a dual health and economic crisis. The present reform discussion has focussed on reforms to public financial management. A government-led Public Financial Management Oversight Committee is overseeing these measures (OC). This OC is responsible for supervising the execution of the recently authorized Financial Management Reform Strategy, among other things (PFMRS).