Poorest Countries in Africa 2022

Africa is the world’s most impoverished continent. Because of this, the competition isn’t very fierce. Millions of Africans live in abject poverty due to political and economic instability, corruption, civil wars, and terrorist insurrections.

Twenty-three of the world’s 27 low-income economies, which the World Bank classifies as the world’s poorest nations, are found in Africa. Africa is home to 21 of the world’s 55 nations with a GDP per capita below the middle-class level.

As an indicator of a country’s wealth, GDP and GNI per capita is often used to calculate GDP per capita and GNI per capita. When calculating GDP per capita, a country’s entire output of goods and services is divided by its population.

International income, such as investments or commercial activities abroad, is included in GNI per capita.

When comparing countries, GDP and GNI are sometimes stated in “international dollars,” a fictitious currency based on purchasing power parity (PPP). A country’s wealth or poverty may be gauged by comparing its GDP per capita to the GDP per capita of its neighbors.

The following are Africa’s ten poorest countries, as of 2020, in terms of GDP per capita, purchasing power parity (PPP), and current international dollars: *

1. Burundi ($771)
2. Somalia ($875)
3. Central African Republic ($980)
4. The Democratic Republic of the Congo ($1,131)
5. Niger ($1,263)
6. Mozambique ($1,297)
7. Liberia ($1,428)
8. Malawi ($1,568)
9. Madagascar ($1,593)
10. Chad ($1,603)

*For comparison: United States ($63,544)

Using the Atlas approach, the following are the 10 poorest countries in Africa as of the year 2020:

1. Burundi ($270)
2. Somalia ($310)
3. Mozambique ($460)
4. Madagascar ($480)
5. Sierra Leone ($490)
6. Central African Republic ($510)
7. Liberia ($530)
8. Niger ($540)
9. The Democratic Republic of the Congo ($550)
10. Malawi ($580)

**For comparison: United States 2019 ($65,910)

Burundi is the world’s poorest nation, according to projected GDP and GNI per capita estimates for 2020. Somalia, the second-worst nation in Africa, also shares this distinction.

This is a recurring theme across the whole list. The ten poorest nations in Africa are also the ten poorest countries globally, except Afghanistan, an Asian country with a GNI per capita of $500.

It is plausible that other non-African countries—especially North Korea, Syria, and Yemen—would fall into the bottom 10 if they were willing to freely publish their GDP/GNI figures, but they often refuse to do so. This is a big caveat. However, the bulk of the nations on the list would still be from Africa.

When looking at the figures alone, it may be difficult to appreciate the magnitude of Africa’s economic issues. To put things in perspective, consider the GDP levels of the world’s richest nations.

Luxembourg has a GDP per capita (PPP int.$) of $118,356, which is more than 150 times larger than Burundi’s $771, according to 2020 estimates. It’s hard to believe that Norway will have a GDP in 2020 289 times more than Burundi’s, based on the

Atlas approach and current US dollars. The economic condition in Africa may improve in the future. Over the last two decades, a few African nations have seen tremendous economic growth and development.

If this development can be maintained and developed, many Africans might benefit from a more optimistic economic future. See the table below for a complete list of African nations and their 2020 GNI per capita (Atlas method, current US$)

Also See: Poorest Asian Countries 2022

The following is a list of the 10 poorest African countries:

1. Burundi ($270)
2. Somalia ($310)
3. Mozambique ($460)
4. Madagascar ($480)
5. Sierra Leone ($490)
6. Eritrea ($510)
7. Central African Republic ($510)
8. Liberia ($530)
9. Niger ($540)
10. DR Congo ($550)