I found an interesting list of the poorest countries in the world in 2025, and honestly, the figures are quite striking. South Sudan is at the bottom of the ranking with only $251 GDP per capita, followed by Yemen at $417 and Burundi at $490. These are really huge gaps compared to what we see elsewhere.

Looking at the full list, many African countries are in the top 20 of the poorest countries in the world. the DRC, Niger, Somalia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Mali are all below $1,000 per capita. It's crazy how some regions remain economically stuck.

Beyond Africa, there’s also Myanmar, Nepal, Timor-Leste, and Laos among the poorest countries in the world. Haiti also with $2,672, and Bangladesh with $2,689. When you see these figures, you better understand the global development challenges and why some countries really struggle to kickstart their economies.