Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. More than half the population lives under the poverty line, and many people rely on subsistence farming to feed their families.
Nicaragua remains the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere with significant social inequities, particularly in rural areas.
Iceland. Iceland stands at the top of countries with the lowest poverty rates with a poverty rate of 4.9% in 2021.
Thus, the richest countries in the world are those with the highest GDP per capita. Currently, the richest country in the world in terms of GDP per capita is Luxembourg, with a GDP per capita of $135,700. Other wealthy countries include Bermuda, Ireland, and Switzerland, all with GDP per capita above $80,000.
Haiti is the second-oldest republic in the Western Hemisphere, after the United States.
United States. The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world's most dominant economic and military power.
Which is the world's poorest country? Burundi is the world's poorest country followed by Central African Republic, DR Congo, South Sudan and Somalia as the poorest. The richest countries are Luxembourg, Singapore, Ireland, Qatar and Switzerland. Soberingly, 19 of the 20 poorest countries are all located in Africa.
India, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh housed half of the world's extremely poor people, according to a World Bank report.
Africa is considered the poorest continent on Earth. Almost every second person living in the states of sub-Saharan Africa lives below the poverty line. Particularly affected by poverty in Africa are the weakest members of society, their children and women.
Norway. With a 2021 GDP per capita of $89,242 USD, Norway ranked as the world's seventh-richest worldwide—a feat made more remarkable by the fact that it is one of very few countries in the top 10 that are not considered to be international tax havens.
United States. The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world's most dominant economic and military power.
The United States upholds its status as the major global economy and richest country, steadfastly preserving its pinnacle position from 1960 to 2023. Its economy boasts remarkable diversity, propelled by important sectors, including services, manufacturing, finance, and technology.
Luxembourg is currently the richest country in the world, with a GDP per capita of $141,590. We've put together the below list from the latest IMF and World Bank data, using GDP (gross domestic product) per capita as the measure.
The majority of the poorest now live in Sub-Saharan Africa, where weaker economic growth and high population growth in many countries has led to a rising number of people living in extreme poverty.
Currently, 1 billion people worldwide live on less than one dollar a day, the threshold defined by the international community as constituting extreme poverty. Yet, this number masks a multitude of people living in varying degrees of poverty, some even more desperately poor than others.
The world has enough wealth and resources to ensure that the entire human race enjoys a basic standard of living. Yet people in countries like Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia—the three poorest in the world—continue to live in desperate poverty.