Ten of the Poorest Nations Outside of Africa

This is a list, in alphabetical order, of ten of the world’s poorest countries outside of Africa.

Afghanistan is extremely poor. The living standard is one of the lowest in the world. It has never been a developed or developing nation, save briefly during the Soviet occupation.

Currently, it is dependent on foreign aid. The main agricultural crop is the Opium poppy. Roughly $4 billion in illicit economic activity is gained via that trade, as has been over the centuries.

Socially, it is an extremely tribal nation which has not changed for the past thousand years. The involvement of American troops, the imposition of a so-called ‘democratic’ government has done little to change the actual life style of the average Afgan.

The current conflict simply gives identifiable combatants. The withdrawal of foreign troops will in no way effect the current tribal divisions, the illicit Opium trade, nor the non-progressive cultural impediments to development.

Bangladesh has the highest population density in the world and an extremely high poverty rate. Geographically, the country straddles the fertile Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta but is subject to annual monsoon floods and cyclones. Political rule has been suspended under emergency law since January 11, 2007.

Bangladesh has made progress in human development in the areas of literacy, gender parity in schooling and reduction of population growth. However, Bangladesh continues to face a number of major challenges, widespread corruption, discrimination against women and religious and ethnic minorities which inhibits progress.  Prone to natural disasters, it’s huge population magnifies every calamity.

Haiti has remained the least-developed country in the Americas. Comparative social and economic indicators show Haiti falling behind other low-income developing countries (particularly in the hemisphere) About 80% of the population are estimated to be living in poverty. Economic growth was negative in 2001 and 2002, and flat in 2003.

About 66% of all Haitians work in the agricultural sector, which consists mainly of small-scale subsistence farming, but this activity makes up only 30% of the GDP. The country has experienced little formal job creation over the past decade, although the informal economy is growing.

Mangoes and coffee are two of Haiti’s most important exports but currently it is involved in a guns for drugs trade, its south eastern coast being controlled by gangs.