The global economy in question: these 50 nations facing the greatest economic challenges in 2025

Poverty remains a major global challenge. By analyzing GDP per capita in 2025, we discover staggering economic disparities across the planet. These figures quantify an invisible reality in macroeconomic statistics: millions of individuals live in countries with extremely limited resources.

Sub-Saharan Africa: the epicenter of economic challenges

The African continent concentrates the majority of poor countries, especially in the Sahel and Central Africa. South Sudan ranks last globally with $251 of GDP per capita, followed by Yemen (417 $, and Burundi )490 $. The Central African Republic (532 $ and Malawi )580 $ complete this picture of structural poverty.

Madagascar (595 $, Sudan )625 $, and Mozambique (663 $ illustrate chronic economic crises that paralyze the region. DR Congo )743 $, and Niger (751 $ remain prisoners of poverty cycles amplified by political instability and lack of infrastructure.

Hotspots of economic misery

Certain areas of the globe concentrate particularly intense poverty. Somalia )766 $, Nigeria (807 $, and Liberia )908 $ bear witness to the ravages of instability. Sierra Leone (916 $, Mali )936 $, and The Gambia (988 $ remain trapped in subsistence economies.

Chad )991 $, Rwanda (1 043 $, and Togo )1 053 $ show that even stabilization efforts are not enough to generate rapid prosperity. Ethiopia (1 066 $, Lesotho )1 098 $, and Burkina Faso (1 107 $ complete this landscape of widespread economic scarcity.

Beyond Africa: global poverty

Guinea-Bissau )1 126 $, and Myanmar (1 177 $ mark a transition, but remain among the poorest. Tanzania )1 280 $, Zambia (1 332 $, and Uganda )1 338 $ struggle to progress despite their natural resources.

In South and Central Asia, Tajikistan (1 432 $, Nepal )1 458 $, and Timor-Leste (1 491 $ remain among the poorest nations in this region. Benin )1 532 $, and Comoros (1 702 $ close the core of economic misery.

Towards slight improvement?

Senegal )1 811 $, Cameroon (1 865 $, and Guinea )1 904 $ show modest but measurable progress. Laos (2 096 $, Zimbabwe )2 199 $, and Congo (2 356 $ are gradually emerging from the critical zone.

The Solomon Islands )2 379 $, Kiribati (2 414 $, Kenya )2 468 $, and Mauritania (2 478 $ illustrate a transition toward marginally more viable economies, without guaranteeing sustainable prosperity for their populations.

The lowest in this economic hierarchy

Ghana )2 519 $, Papua New Guinea (2 565 $, and Haiti )2 672 $ complete the group of nations facing persistent poverty. Bangladesh (2 689 $, Kyrgyzstan )2 747 $, Cambodia (2 870 $, Ivory Coast )2 872 $, and India (2 878 $ close this ranking of the 50 most economically fragile nations.

These data reflect a harsh reality: nearly a quarter of the world’s population lives in poor countries, where each dollar of GDP per capita represents impossible choices between education, health, and daily survival.