Africa is the richest continent in the world in terms of natural resources and there is
no debate about that. But Africa still has most of the poorest countries in the world.
In fact, Africa has 21 countries in the 25 poorest countries in the world.
The reason for this is that most African countries are heavily impacted by high rates of corruption,
lack of proper medical and educational facilities, and underdeveloped infrastructures.
There is also political unrest and civil wars in these African Countries.
In this video, we are going to take a look at the top 10 poorest countries in Africa. We are going
to look at their economy and the different factors that slow their economy and bring about poverty.
We are going to be ranking them based on their GDP per Capita,
which is the measurement of the country's economic output per person.
It is calculated by dividing the entire country’s GDP by the total population.
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Number 10: Togo.
Togo is a small country with about 7 million people in west Africa.
The GDP per Capita of Togo is 690 U.S. Dollars which makes it one of the poorest
countries in the continent. The Majority Of Togo’s Population live in rural areas
and these people suffer high levels of poverty. The major reasons accounting to Togo’s poverty
is lack of access to proper education, Government Corruption, and also the poor
health care system in the country which results in low life expectancy and high birth rates.
Number 9: Sierra Leone.
This is another small nation in West Africa, with a GDP per Capita of just above 500 U.S. Dollars.
The reason for Sierra Leone's poverty is as a result of the civil war that
took place between 1991 and 2002. It left the economy of this country in shambles.
Despite still trying to recover from that, other reasons like internal corruption, lack of civil
liberties, and lack of accessible education adds to the persistent poverty of the country.
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Number 8: Niger.
Niger, with a population of about 17 million people is a landlocked country in West Africa.
The GDP per Capita of Niger is 477 U.S. Dollars. Over 80% of this country’s land area is covered
by the Sahara Desert. The non-desert sections of the country are threatened by frequent periods
of drought and also increasing desertification. Niger’s economy is mainly based on subsistence
with some export of raw materials like uranium ore and a few agricultural commodities. Niger
is one of the poorest countries in Africa. High fertility rates, poor health infrastructure, lack
of education, landlocked status, desert terrain, and overpopulation are only a few problems that
result in the poor economic status of Niger. Number 7: Mozambique.
Mozambique is a country located in the southeastern part of Africa with a population
of 24 million people. It has a GDP per capita of 476 US dollars. It is one of the poorest and
least developed countries in the world. However, with financial aid from organizations like the
World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, Mozambique is exhibiting a positive growth trend.
The minimum legal salary in Mozambique is around $60 USD per month.
The country faces the problems of chronic child malnutrition, poor literacy rates,
improper access to health facilities, and more Number 6: Madagascar.
Madagascar has a GDP per capita of 459 U.S. Dollars. It is an island nation and
biodiversity hotspot located off the coast of southeast Africa. Though Madagascar has
a rich diversity of unique flora and fauna, it is one of the poorest countries in Africa from
an economic point of view. Approximately 69% of the population of the country lives
below the poverty level threshold of $1 a day. Number 5: The Democratic Republic Of The Congo.
​​The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), one of the poorest countries in Africa, is a Central
African country with a population of around 80 million. Its GDP per Capita is 449 U.S Dollars. It
is the continent’s second-largest country by area. Though nature has endowed DRC with rich natural
resources, the country is politically unstable. The high rates of corruption,
lack of infrastructure, long years of colonial and commercial exploitation have weakened the economy
of the nation. Raw minerals are the biggest exports of DRC with China being the biggest
export partner of the country and accepting more than 50% of the exports. DRC has a low
ranking in the Human Development Index, ranking 176 among the 187 countries of the world.
Number 4: Central African Republic. The Central African Republic is one
of the poorest countries in Africa, with an average income of $430 every year.
The country houses a population of around 4.7 million and encompasses a land area of 240,000
square miles. Though the country has a significant volume of mineral resources and sufficient
quantities of arable land, it ranks 187th out of 188 nations in the human development ranking.
The landlocked geography and poor economic development of the Central African Republic hinder
the export trade in the country. Though diamonds are the most important export of the country,
accounting for more than 50% of the export revenue, it is estimated that a large part of it
leaves the country clandestinely. The annual real GDP growth of the nation is only about 3%. Though
the country is nearly self-sufficient in food crops, the high presence of the tsetse fly makes
the country poor in livestock quality. Number 3: Malawi.
Malawi has a GDP per Capita of 351 U.S. Dollars.
It is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that covers an area of 118,000 square kilometers
and has a population of around 16 million. Malawi is among the world's least developed nations.
Agriculture contributes to over 90% of the export revenues of the country. Previously,
Malawi was heavily dependent on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for financial aid.
The high rates of corruption prevalent in the country soon
discouraged the international agencies from providing monetary help to the country.
High rates of HIV and AIDS, poor literacy rates, poor health and hygiene, corruption, landlocked
geography, are some of the factors responsible for the country's low per capita income levels.
Number 2: Burundi.
Burundi is an East African landlocked country with a population of about 11million.
Burundi is a resource-poor country where the manufacturing sector is highly underdeveloped. The
nation's economy is mainly based on agriculture which employs 90% of the people but accounts for
only slightly over 30% of the GDP. Coffee and tea are the country’s primary export items.
The country’s landlocked geography, low literacy rates, poor legal system,
lack of economic freedom, and high rates of HIV and AIDS are barriers to the economic progress
of Burundi. Burundians also have to deal with high rates of corruption, poor health facilities,
scarcity of food, and weak infrastructure. Its average income is around $307 US dollars.
Number 1: South Sudan South Sudan is the poorest country in
Africa with a per capita income of $303 per year. Having become an independent country only in 2011,
Sudan is one of the world's youngest countries. As such, the country's economy
is rather underdeveloped. It also has some of the world's least developed infrastructure.
Those were the poorest countries in Africa. For this to change all the problems of corruption,
lack of access to education, and proper health care should be looked into.
Infrastructures should be improved upon. If these are done, we believe
Africa will be a better place and be the rich continent it deserves to be.
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