25 Most Underdeveloped Countries in the World in 2018

You will be shocked (or not) to learn that the most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018 are mostly located on the same continent — Africa, although there are a few underdeveloped countries in Asia as well.

Knowing that the world economy isn’t in good shape, we might say that such a large number of underdeveloped countries doesn’t come as a surprise. These countries are fighting issues such as electricity crisis, water shortages, inflation, corruption, lack of proper education, etc. And those are just a few of the explanations behind the underdevelopment. In those countries, public enterprises are badly required to initiate and accelerate the developmental process by providing educational facilities, public health measures, and medical aid, for starters. The next step is the development of electrical and engineering industry, and so on.

The great examples are countries which had undergone the times of poorness and development too, but eventually managed to “escape the poverty trap“. After all, money makes the world go round, and those who have it, have the power as well. Just check out the list of most powerful people in the world. Some of them are the richest people in the world, right? The bottom line is, people are shaping up their success using the cash they’ve created during their lives. Therefore, the more cash a country has, the more powerful it is. That being said, it’s no wonder that the countries which are lacking it have less power and are considered underdeveloped. Having cash will surge a nation forward, as in the case the most developed countries in Asia for example, whereas not having it will hold a nation back.

So, one way (besides others) to measure the development of a country is by its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita based on Purchasing Power Parity (PPP). It’s the total value of services provided and goods produced in a country in a one-year period converted to international dollars using purchasing power parity rates and then divided by its population. In addition, PPP is a tool used for comparing prices of a product or a service between countries with different currencies. Also, we decided to use this parameter when deciding on which countries are the most underdeveloped in this year. In case you are wondering about results we god a few years ago, check out 10 Most Underdeveloped Countries in the World.

The countries that appear in the following list of most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018 are facing an awfully difficult economic outlook and are affected by a significant lack of infrastructure. They’re not prepared for what to expect in a disaster situation, their economies consist primarily of agriculture, and therefore the health and education services suffer from a significant lack of funding. These are also some of the factors concerned in deciding which nations are to be included in today’s list. In addition, we used latest available data which we obtained from International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Central Intelligence Agency and United Nations‘ website and finally ranked countries by their GDP (PPP) per capita.

25. Benin

GDP (PPP) per capita: $2,219

We are starting off with the country which is one of the largest cotton producers in Africa. Its economy depends on agriculture and production of cotton.

24. Mali

GDP (PPP) per capita: $2,169

With more than 500,000 Malians who are in need of food assistance and almost 60,000 internally displaced, it’s no wonder this West African country ended up on our list of most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018.

23. Solomon Islands

GDP (PPP) per capita: $2145

Up next we have a country which is, in fact, an archipelago in the South Pacific, located east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu. Poor governance, inefficient public sector, and widespread violence are just some of the issues which are holding back country’s economic development.

22. Ethiopia

GDP (PPP) per capita: $2113

We are continuing our list with one of the world’s poorest countries, where natural disasters, poor land, and water management, as well as lack of education and medical aid, are everlasting issues.

21. Rwanda

GDP (PPP) per capita: $2081

We are moving to Rwanda in Central Africa which is a small, landlocked nation. 70% of the population is engaged in agriculture and it has a life expectancy of 41.

And now, let’s start the countdown – the top 20 poorest countries in the world.

20. Guinea

GDP (PPP) per capita: $2039

Although there’s a potential for this country to be one of Africa’s richest countries because of its mineral wealth, unfortunately, its people are among the world’s poorest.

19. Kiribati

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1958

We are continuing our list of most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018 with one of the least developed Pacific Island countries. It has few natural resources and a quite poor infrastructure.

18. Afghanistan

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1889

Afghanistan is definitely one of the least developed and poorest countries in Asia, where corruption is closely related to its (un)development. However, during the last decade, there were some improvements in agriculture and construction sectors.

17. Burkina Faso

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1884

The unfortunate combination of a large population, fragile soil and scarcity of natural resources put this African country on our today’s list of most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018.

16. Haiti

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1810

Up next we have one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Besides natural disasters which are a “common” thing in this country, the centuries of corrupt government and a lack of social infrastructure are the causes of the country’s economic underdevelopment.

15. Guinea-Bissau

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1806

This country from West Africa, once known as Slave Coast, was a part of the Portuguese Empire. Although it gained its independence in the 70s, the majority of the population still struggle with poverty, while political instability has put a strain on country’s economic growth.

14. Sierra Leone

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1791

With almost half of the working-age population engaged in subsistence agriculture, this country is considered poor; though, in recent years, iron ore mining had a significant impact on country’s economic growth.

13. The Gambia

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1686

Up next on our list of most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018 we have another West African country where agriculture is still the basis of the economy, whereas the industrial sector is underdeveloped. Also, corruption and weak protection of property are critical issues, among others.

12. Togo

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1612

Poverty in this small sub-Saharan nation is high. It has a population of 7.6 million people. The country’s economy is based on phosphate mining, and production of cocoa, coffee, and cotton. Moreover, more than 100, 000 people live with HIV/AIDS, while 63.7% of the adults are illiterate.

11. Comoros

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1560

The archipelago of Comoros ranks 11th on our list of most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018. It is situated in the Indian Ocean, northwest of Madagascar. About 45% of its population is below the poverty line. The main causes for economic underdevelopment are political unrest, few natural resources and inadequate transportation links between its three islands.

And now, let’s see the top ten top 10 least developed countries in the world.

10. Madagascar

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1554

Madagascar economy is based on agriculture, tourism, as well as mining and textile industries. The country has a history of political instability, while corruption is still one of the major issues. Moreover, 78% of country’s population is living on $1.90 a day.

9. South Sudan

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1503

We are continuing with widely depopulated and mainly rural country. Around 80% of the population is living on $1 a day. Also, it’s one of the countries with the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world.

8. Eritrea

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1434

Famines and droughts are just some of the causes for this country to end up on this list. More than 65% of the population is living in rural areas, while nearly 80% is engaged in agriculture.

7. Mozambique

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1266

Although this country is abundant with tourist destinations and natural resources, poverty and diseases such as malaria are the biggest threats to its population.

6. Malawi

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1172

Malawi is rich in deposits of Diamonds and Gold, but unfortunately, it’s extremely poor when it comes to its population. The country is fighting issues such as corruption and HIV infection and AIDS. One of the biggest problems is an unequal distribution of land where a small percentage of the population owns a large amount of land.

5. Niger

GDP (PPP) per capita: $1153

High levels of corruption and starvation caused by crops not growing due to the lack of rainfall are major issues in this country. Moreover, one in six children dies before the 5th birthday, what demonstrates standard and quality of living in this country.

4. Liberia

GDP (PPP) per capita: $867

Due to the civil war which destroyed country’s economy and the unemployment rate of 70%, Liberia found its place on our list of most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018.

And now, let’s see the top three on the list of underdeveloped countries.

3. Burundi

GDP (PPP) per capita: $808

More than 90% of the population is engaged in agriculture, while more than 80% are living below the poverty line. It’s one of the most population-dense countries in Africa.

2. The Democratic Republic of the Congo

GDP (PPP) per capita: $785

At number two we have another country that was, and still is suffering the effects of years of conflicts and wars. This country is potentially one of the world’s richest countries, at least when it comes to its natural (geology-rich) sources. Unfortunately, natural resources don’t always equate wealth.

1. The Central African Republic

GDP (PPP) per capita: $681

Political instability and sporadic surges of violence are making a living in this country hard. Not to mention that country’s population is mainly agrarian. However, the biggest issues are food insecurity and malnourishment.

This wraps it up for our list of most underdeveloped countries in the world in 2018.