Lowest GDP Per Capita

Updated September 11, 2020 | Logan Chamberlain

The Poorest Countries Pound for Pound

Generally speaking, larger countries make more money that smaller countries just because they have more workers. Some of the countries with low GDPs might actually have a pretty high standard of living, since each citizen makes more—Monaco, a modern city-state, is one of the most luxurious places on Earth. That's why, to determine just how wealthy a country is, it's useful to see how much money they make per person in their country.

These are the countries with the lowest GDP per capita in U.S. dollars, based on data available at the end of 2019. Also check out our list of the countries with the highest GDP per capita. 

You'll notice that many countries with low GDPs are currently suffering from ongoing armed conflicts; e.g. South Sudan has been fighting a civil war almost since its founding, and Afghanistan has now seen at least four decades of fighting off and on. Other countries might be suffering from health crises, or have broad infrastructure problems.