By Abdallah el-Kurebe [ASHENEWS] June 25, 2025 – South Sudan has been ranked as the world’s poorest country in 2025, according to new data released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), with an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of just $251. The war-torn East African nation is followed by Yemen at $417 and Burundi at $490.
The IMF’s list of the 50 poorest countries by GDP per capita shows that the majority of low-income nations remain concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa, with persistent challenges such as conflict, weak institutions, climate vulnerability, and low investment in infrastructure and education.
Central African Republic ($532), Malawi ($580), Madagascar ($595), and Sudan ($625) are among the bottom ten. Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy by overall GDP, appears surprisingly low on the list at number 12, with a per capita GDP of $807 — underscoring the deep economic inequality and developmental challenges facing the country.
Other notable entries include Somalia ($766), Liberia ($908), Mali ($936), Chad ($991), Rwanda ($1,043), and Ethiopia ($1,066). The figures highlight a stark contrast with global averages and raise concern over poverty, underdevelopment, and the slow pace of economic transformation in these regions.
Asia also features on the list, with Myanmar ($1,177), Nepal ($1,458), and India ($2,878) making appearances, although many Asian countries have seen steady improvement in income levels over the past decade.
The highest-ranked country on the list, India, is only marginally above Côte d’Ivoire ($2,872), Cambodia ($2,870), and the Kyrgyz Republic ($2,747), showing how large populations and uneven wealth distribution can weigh down per capita income figures even in growing economies.
Economists say these figures should be a call to action for global development agencies and national governments alike to deepen investments in healthcare, education, peace-building, and job-creating industries such as agriculture, technology, and manufacturing.
The IMF data serves as a stark reminder that while global wealth may be increasing in aggregate, it remains unequally distributed — and for millions across these 50 nations, poverty remains a daily reality.
