The 10 Poorest Countries on this planet.

by Paschen | December 7, 2008 at 03:59 am
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The 10 Poorest Countries on this planet.

The 10 Poorest Countries on this planet.

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By, Uwe Paschen.

The 10 Poorest countries on our planet today.

 The Republic of Congo in central Africa is leading the way being the Poorest Country today with a GDP-per Capita of  $300.00, being followed by Liberia with a GDP-per capita of $500.00.

Third Poorest Country is Zimbabwe with $500.00 GDP-per Capita, this country is however on its way to become the Poorest by next Years sensus due to the Political unrest and disastrous economy.

Fourth Poorest Country is the Solomon Islands with a GDP-per Capita of $600.00.

Fifth poorest Country is Somalia with a GDP-per Capita of $600.00.

Six poorest Countries is the Union of the Comoros with a GDP-per Capita of $600.00.

Seventh poorest Country of the World is Guinea-Bissau with a GDP of $600.00.

Eighth Poorest Country of the World is the Central African Republic with a GDP-per capita of $700.00

Ninth poorest Country is Niger with a GDP-per capita of $700.00 and tenth poorest country today is Ethiopia with a GDP-per capita of $700.00 as well.

 Now this compared to one the 10 richest Country of the World such as the USA with a GDP-per capita of $38,000.00

 

Meaning that in the USA a person makes on average over all about $104.10 per day, where as in the Poorest Country on the planet Earth a person makes less then $1.00 per day. http://www.icann.org/en/announcements/factsheet-dns-attack-08mar07.pdf

 On the map it is easy to see where people live in total poverty and where they live way above Global averages. The study in its self is rather alarming since the discrepancy between rich Countries and Poor countries has widen in the past decade. A trend that has started to increase in magnitude with the funding of the WTO, the IMF and the Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

 GDP and GNP are not the same thing though and need to be look at differently, the GDP Gross Domestic Product reflects the internal economy of a country and GDP-per capita the Gross income per person, yet the GNP reflect the Countries Gross National Product including all trades, sales and revenue over all. Why there is a great discrepancy in some cases such as Niger between the GNP and GDP-per Capita.

 The GDP-per capita is $700.00 and the GNP is 3.35 billion dollar as of 2005 last available number. The revenue of the Government is far greater though since the Uranium and Oil exploitation is not yet taken into account.

The Republic of Niger’s real GDP per Capita should there for be more like a GDP of $12,900.00 per Capita.

This however is not the case, since the GDP is at $700.00 per capita, meaning some make a lot of money wile most are starving and living in poverty. http://my.nowpublic.com/world/india-signs-new-pact-niger-over-uranium-mining

 The reasons are multiple; Corruption, Clan politics and Discrimination are the most frequent problem. Further, there are foreign interferences in order to gain control over natural resources. In addition, come Natural disasters such as floods, Droughts, and Storms that will affect the civil population and mostly the rural population.

 The single best way to counter the problem is in large part for the Industrial Countries to put pressure on those governments and stop there war for the control of Natural resources giving room to fair trade and Human rights.

This however is rather unlikely to happen since the Industrialised Countries and its populations will not likely be willing to lower their own standards of living in order to allow fair trade around the globe.

The global situation today is not much different then what we went through in the 18th and 19th century in Europe where the people Rose up for justice and equality having had enough of being exploited and oppressed.

 However today the same could be said globally, we in the Industrialised World are today The Kings and War Lords, That we once fought against, only now oppress the rest of the planet. Rather then being a local oppression as it was two centuries ago, today we have moved to a global oppression and yet the numbers are still the same, 10% off the World’s Population lives in Luxuries where as 90% live in absolute poverty and despair.

Do we need another revolution like the once we had in Europe and America's before justice will be global or will we realize that change is needed and that Justice and equality have to be universal.

 SOURCE: CIA World Factbook 2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niger

 

   

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3
rumana husain

paschen, corruption, clan politics, discrimination, etc are rampant in some other countries as well but the situation there, only relatively speaking, might not be as desperate as the countries you have listed. to my mind it is interference and ravages of war and violence compounded with overpopulation that push them to the edifice of self destruction.

2
Mikasi

And let's not forget using potential cropland to grow exports for western nations. This has helped to add to hunger and starvation problems for decades.

1
Paschen

You are correct Rumana Husain and yes War is a major factor, However the question could be asked what is first the Wars or the Poverty, wish causes what? In many cases the Chronic poverty and injustice leads to the war or civil wars. And as you said over population does play a major role as well. It is not simple and the longer this is going on the worth it seems to get and the more complex it is getting to solve the problems.

4
gerrypopplestone

Ah but....Paschen.  Very often the issue of wars is caused by the resource rich wealth of some countries and fighting over control.  Especially in Africa - Diamonds, Gold and Oil.  Look at Nigeria and Oil!  People in the Delta are kept well away from the profits from oil even though they live next to it.

1
Paschen

I agree with you Gerry, especially in the case named of Nigeria. same could be said for Niger, and DRC, however in other areas such a Salmon Islands it is more a problem of a lack of fair trade and trade deficit.

 

1
Mikasi

Thanks for this story. 

Quick question though - did anyone measure to see how the national averages might be skewed by distribution of wealth the nations. Are there people at the top of the economic scale in these countries that hoard enough wealth to skew upwards the average amounts made across thecountries? Does it come out to be even worse for the people than it sounds from the above report?

1
Paschen

Yes there are, If you look a Nigeria for instance, it has an elite that live with over ten Million dollar per person per year, however its population is in rather bad shape with a GDP per person of $1400.00 per year that is an incredible discrepancy, the same does apply in Niger and other countries where about 2 to 5 Percent of the people belong to the elite and have more then most could ever imagine. Yet at the same time 85 to 90 percent of the People live in total poverty and the Middle class is very small only 5 to 10 percent of the population can claim to be middle class.

2
wittaman

Remember reading maybe 20 years ago, that Middle-Class was definded by "Having Running Water in Your Home"

2
gerrypopplestone

Its rather more than that: social class is the four factors - wealth, power, opportunity and security - things in plentiful supply to the middle classes but scarce to others.

1
Milieunet

This is so sad, awfull, we still didn't find the solution to solve poverty in the world.

We have billions tos ave financials, why not for saving people??

1
Mikasi

two words - "class issues."

If I give money to aid straving third world countries I am getting warm fuzzies from helping anonymous brown people.

If I give money to bailout financials I may well get a red convertable or a winter home in Florida. Gee, what will "I" pick?

Please pardon my crassness, but that's pretty much how I see people doing the math.

1
Iffy

Sadly, if you added up the money these countries have received in aid, and currently receive in aid (Congo alone is receiving a vast sum from the UN and is host to the biggest UN mission in the world), then you can see something is very wrong with aid. Money is not the solution but better use of the money and better ideas.

1
gerrypopplestone

I think what you have done is r4eally interesting and your exegisis of GNP and GDP is really helpful.  But I  am with Rumana Husain is saying that the count6ries at the very bottom are really failed states because of the conflicts that are going on inside them.  Ive always regarded countries like Niger, Laos and Cambodia with some other African countries as the basic 'real' poor countries.  There are roughly 50 failed states.  My textbook on incomes is the UND Annual Reports since they use Amartya Sen's notion of PPP - Purchasing Power Parity - I think Im right in ssaying it takes into account the human resopuirce elements of health and education.  But Im not fully up on these issues!  That's my general understanding - which is only fairly good!

1
Paschen

I do not disagree with your comment here Gerry, however as I said before what came first social injustice followed by war or war causing the injustice. I think in many cases the War is a follows the injustices and the corruption. Further many wars or coups have been instigated by arming diverse fractions in order to take control over the Countries resources. See Niger for example. The French where in control until the US and Canada started to want the Uranium and Oil, they financed coups and even assassinations, the Chinese and Russian as well as Great Britain, the Netherlands, India to now just to name a few did and do the same thing. It is a mess.

1
gerrypopplestone

PS:  You have certainly started a lively debate!  Good on you!

2
patgarcia

I though my country had a low average of income per day, around $5.00 depending on the area you live in. I was shocked to realize  persons make less than $1.00 per day in some countries.

2
hussain

The causes and reasons mentioned above by various NP members are a fact, however, I think the mother of all these causes and reasons is human greed and selfishness, which breed injustice.

0
Paschen

You are in deed making a valid point and I would tend to agree with you.

1
sheshank

The poverty index and its measurement is always is ahot topic of debate,the bench mark of some hundred dollar in this inflationary situation is nothing but a myth.

1
danesller0127

Devastating but preventable food crises will hit the world’s poorest countries yet again because of a failure to address the root causes of the problem...

Related story:

The full report Beyond Any Drought or a two-page briefing paper by Vanessa Rubin on the report’s findings and recommendations are available from:

Mike Shanahan,
Press Officer,
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED),
Tel: +44 (0)20 7388 2117,
E-mail: mike.shanahan@iied.org

0
Paschen

Thank you for the additional info here. Much appreciated.

1
gerrypopplestone

The IIED is an excellent and very reliable commentator on food and agriculture!

5
Laughing-Samurai

According to the Source: CIA World Factbook, America is only the sixth richest country.

1.    Luxembourg    $ 68,800
2.    Equatorial Guinea $ 50,200
3.    United Arab Emirates $ 49,700
4.    Norway    $ 47,800
5.    Ireland    $ 43,600
6.    United States $ 43,500
7.    Andorra    $ 38,800
8.    Iceland    $ 38,100
9.    Denmark    $ 37,000
10.    Austria    $ 35,500

http://www.aneki.com/richest.html

0
Paschen

Thank you for the input here L-S, I will look it up. Some go by GDP per Capita, other numbers are based by GNP and some make a average of all 4 factors. Changing the picture each time slightly.

  

1
forthebetta

That should give other countries hope for the future, since a hundred years ago Ireland was recovering from starvation, and the UAE barely existed.

0
Rob G.

So pleased to see that of Ireland! What a responsibility of those of Luxembourg! <shrug!>



0
Paschen

Zichy or LS, bellow find the latest order of the ten richest countries on this planet.

1  Qatar 85,868
2  Luxembourg 82,306
3  Norway 53,451
4  Singapore 51,142
5  Brunei 50,117
6  United States 46,859
 Hong Kong 43,811
7  Switzerland 42,783
8  Ireland 42,539
9  Netherlands 40,431
10  Iceland 40,020

5
dumbboys

And this, never mind the fact that we have given them many BILLIONS of dollars in aid for years. Maybe it's time they helped themselves because we have our own problems here at home.

1
Iffy

The simple fact is, if a country cares about its people, it will take the steps to improve their conditions. For too long, aid has enabled bad people to get away with abusing and neglecting their people. History shows us once a country politically takes the decision to get rid of poverty, and really commits to do this (like Singapore and South Korea for example), it gets done. A lesson to be learnt there.

1
azzayindia

when will the world wipe out the menace of poverty.

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