20 African countries with low GNI per capita
The World Bank classifies all the countries in the world into different development categories, based on certain yardsticks.
Currently, there are four broad categories —high income countries, upper middle income countries, lower middle income countries and low income countries.
The high income countries have a GNI per capita of at least $12,696, while the upper middle income countries have a GNI per capita of at least $4,096. Also, the GNI per capita in lower middle income countries stands at between $1,046 and $4,095, while low income countries have a GNI per capita of $1,045 or less.
“For the current 2022 fiscal year, low-income economies are defined as those with a GNI per capita, calculated using the World Bank Atlas method, of $1,045 or less in 2020; lower middle-income economies are those with a GNI per capita between $1,046 and $4,095; upper middle-income economies are those with a GNI per capita between $4,096 and $12,695; high-income economies are those with a GNI per capita of $12,696 or more,” explained the World Bank.
These low income countries, which are also referred to as underdeveloped or emerging markets, are noticeably poorer than countries in the other three development categories highlighted above.
Due to their peculiar development challenges, a lot of these countries depend on development aids and subsidised loans from multilateral lenders in order to survive.
There are currently 27 countries that are categorised under the low income list. Out of these 27 countries, 24 are in Sub Saharan Africa while the remaining three are the Middle East. Business Insider Africa hereby present the top 20 African countries on this list, with focus on their GNI per capita.
- Somalia: Has a GNI per capita of $130.
- Mozambique: Has a GNI per capita of $490.
- Madagascar: Has a GNI per capita of $520.
- Central African Republic: Has a GNI per capita of $520.
- DR Congo: Has a GNI per capita of $530.
- Sierra Leone: Has a GNI per capita of $540.
- Liberia: Has a GNI per capita of $580.
- Sudan: Has a GNI per capita of $590
- Niger: Has a GNI per capita of $600.
- Eritrea: Has a GNI per capita of $600.
- Togo: Has a GNI per capita of $690.
- Chad: Has a GNI per capita of $700.
- Gambia: Has a GNI per capita of $750.
- Uganda: Has a GNI per capita of $780.
- Burkina Faso: Has a GNI per capita of $780.
- Burundi: Has a GNI per capita of $780
- Guinea Bissau: Has a GNI per capita of $820.
- Rwanda: Has a GNI per capita of $830.
- Ethiopia: Has a GNI per capita of $850.
- Mali: Has a GNI per capita of $870.
Note that GNI per capita is the gross national income converted to U.S. dollars using the World Bank Atlas method, and divided by the mid-year population.
