Purchasing power: 10 poorest countries based on GDP per capita in 2026

This story has significance for readers across Kenya and beyond.

- Nine of the world's 10 poorest countries are in Africa, according to GDP per capita purchasing power parity data

- Burundi ranks as the world's poorest nation with a per capita PPP of just $994, followed by the Central African Republic and South Sudan

- The IMF warns the gap between rich and poor nations is widening, driven by climate change, conflict, and uneven access to new technologies

Nine of the world's 10 poorest countries are located in Africa, with the continent battling a compounding mix of corruption, conflict, climate vulnerability, and collapsing foreign aid budgets that continue to push millions deeper into deprivation.

The rankings are based on GDP per capita measured by purchasing power parity (PPP), expressed in current international dollars, which accounts for differences in the cost of living and inflation across countries.

The contrast with wealthier nations is stark: average annual per capita purchasing power in the 10 richest economies exceeds $121,000, while in the 10 poorest it stands at roughly $1,700.

The World's 10 Poorest Countries

Burundi sits at the bottom of the global rankings with a per capita PPP of $994.23. The small, landlocked nation, still recovering from a civil war that ran from 1993 to 2005, has approximately 80% of its 14 million citizens relying on subsistence agriculture. Food insecurity in Burundi runs at nearly twice the sub-Saharan African average.

The Central African Republic ranks second at $1,437.72 per capita. Despite holding substantial reserves of gold, oil, uranium, and diamonds, the country has barely sustained economic growth since independence from France in 1960. Large portions of its territory remain under militia control.

South Sudan ($1,467.19) comes third. Oil exports account for about 90% of government revenue, yet the World Bank estimates that nearly 90% of the population lives below the poverty line, a situation it describes as systemic and extreme. Pipeline disruptions and internal conflict have severely curtailed those oil earnings.

Below are the poorest countries based on data from the Global Finance:

Rank (2026) | Rank (2025) | Country | GDP-PPP per capita ($) | GDP-PPP per capita (KSh) |

1 | 2 | Burundi | 994.23 | KSh 128,584 |

2 | 3 | Central African Republic | 1,437.72 | KSh 185,940 |

3 | 1 | South Sudan | 1,467.19 | KSh 189,752 |

4 | 4 | Yemen | 1,590.19 | KSh 205,659 |

5 | 5 | Mozambique | 1,688.91 | KSh 218,427 |

6 | 6 | Malawi | 1,758.03 | KSh 227,366 |

7 | 8 | Somalia | 1,905.21 | KSh 246,401 |

8 | 9 | Liberia | 1,979.42 | KSh 255,998 |

9 | 10 | Madagascar | 2,030.36 | KSh 262,586 |

10 | 7 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 2,032.68 | KSh 262,887 |

Source: TUKO.co.ke

Reporting originally appeared via TUKO. Read the full source for additional context.