I recently looked at the GDP per capita statistics for 2025 and was amazed at how much the economic indicators vary across different countries. The poorest country in the world is South Sudan with a figure of just $251 per person. Following that are Yemen ($417) and Burundi ($490). The disparity in living standards is just staggering.

If we look at the list of the poorest countries, most of them are African nations. Central African Republic, Malawi, Madagascar, Sudan, Mozambique — all of them are below $700. DRC, Niger, Somalia, Nigeria — also among countries with critically low income per capita. Even Nigeria, with its population and resources, shows only $807.

Next come Asia and other regions. Tajikistan ($1,432), Nepal ($1,458), East Timor ($1,491) — these are slightly higher but still among the poorest by global standards. Even India, with its economy, is on the list of the poorest countries by this measure — $2,878 per person. It’s interesting to see how different factors influence economic development. Which countries surprised you in this ranking?