I just looked at some global economic data for 2025, and it really moved me. The poorest countries in the world are mostly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa, with South Sudan’s per capita GDP at only $251, which is hard to imagine.

Africa is indeed the region with the most difficult economic conditions worldwide. Many of the ten poorest countries are from here—South Sudan, Yemen, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Malawi, and Madagascar—all with per capita GDP below $600. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, and Somalia are also not doing much better.

Interestingly, the list of the poorest countries also includes some in Asia, such as Myanmar, Tajikistan, Nepal, and Laos. Although Bangladesh and India have large populations, their per capita GDP is only a little over $2,000.

Looking at this data, I realize that the differences among the world's poorest countries are quite significant. From South Sudan to India, although all are at the low end, their economic structures and development potentials are completely different. Some of the poorest countries are plagued by long-term conflicts, some suffer from the resource curse, and others have insufficient investment in infrastructure and education. These differences determine their future development paths.