Donald Trump calls them "shithole countries." The poor nations that make the list of the world's poorest countries for a variety of reasons.
The ranking is based on countries' gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP). PPP, which stands for purchasing power parity, is used to compare the price difference of goods between countries. The idea is that PPP should give a better picture of the standard of living, taking into account the cost of living and inflation in countries.
The information is expressed in so-called international dollars, a hypothetical currency with the same purchasing power as the U.S. dollar.
10. Madagascar
PPP per capita: 1,504
Approximately 70 percent of Madagascar's population lives in poor conditions. Due to deep-rooted corruption and political instability, the economic situation is chaotic.
The most important industry is agriculture. The country's largest exports include coffee and vanilla. Despite attempts by the World Bank to stabilize Madagascar's economy in the 1980s, political conflicts in the country have caused several setbacks since then.
9. Eritrea
PPP per capita: 1,321
Since declaring independence in 1993, Eritrea has struggled with major financial problems. The country, whose main industry is agriculture, has been repeatedly hit by drought disasters, which has severely affected its economic situation. Since 1998, it has also been selected not to receive assistance from other countries.
Between 1998 and 2000, disputes with neighboring Ethiopia continued, resulting in, among other things, a halving of food production. Nevertheless, the country's GDP is improving, mainly due to a newly opened gold mine and cement production.
8. Guinea
PPP per capita: 1,271
Guinea has Africa's largest mineral resources. Despite this, the country is one of the poorest in the world and totally dependent on international aid. Unrest and fighting near the border areas of Sierra Leone and Liberia have created insecurity and led to a loss of foreign investment.
7. Mozambique
PPP per capita: 1,228
Mozambique is located on the east coast of South Africa. The country suffered a war of liberation from Portugal and a bloody civil war before peace was made in 1992. About one million people had lost their lives.
Since then, the country has enjoyed relatively good economic development and political stability. Nevertheless, a large part of the inhabitants live in great poverty.
6. Malawi
PPP per capita: 1,139
Malawi is one of the world's least developed countries, and the country has repeatedly suffered from mass violence. It is estimated that over 90 percent of the population depends on agriculture, with tobacco accounting for more than half of the country's exports.
Malawi's economy is largely dependent on support from other countries, although the country's economic situation has improved since agricultural reform in 2005.
5. Niger
PPP per capita: 1,113
Niger consists largely of desert and peninsula, and most of the population lives in the south of the country. Living conditions for the population are considered very poor. The economy is based on uranium exports, of which the country has one of the largest deposits in the world.
Only 30% of the population has literacy skills, and more than half of the country's children suffer from malnutrition. Another cause of poverty in Niger is overpopulation and drought.
4. Liberia
PPP per capita: 882
Civil war and corrupt domestic politics have destroyed large parts of Liberia's economic resources, mainly affecting the country's infrastructure.
As a result of the ongoing civil war, many businessmen and educated workers have relocated to the country, bringing both capital and expertise. At least 80 percent of the population lives in poverty, and today they are trying to rebuild the country after many years of oppression under former dictator Charles Taylor.
Liberia has recently resumed its former export of ore and diamonds, but what the future holds for the country's economy is uncertain, to say the least.
3. Burundi
PPP per capita: 818
Burundi is a country with few natural resources, also lacks a coastline, and has a very underdeveloped industrial sector. The country's largest exports are coffee and tea, and Lake Tanganyika produces sweet potatoes, rice and oil deposits.
Burundi has been rocked at times by civil war, and as a result, poverty is extreme, education levels are low, the judicial system is weak, and domestic politics are highly corrupted. Only half of the children attend school and there are intermittent food shortages.
Despite the above problems, attempts have been made to reform the country's economy, and a slight increase in the country's GDP has been recorded in recent years.
2. Democratic Republic of the Congo
PPP per capita: 784
Many years of war and corruption have dramatically worsened the economic situation in the Democratic Republic.
1. Central African Republic
PPP per capita: 656
Agriculture and forestry are the main industries in the Central African Republic, and the majority of the population lives on self-sufficient farms.
In the past, diamond exports accounted for more than half of export earnings, but have recently been hit hard by illegal diamond smuggling. The disparity between high- and low-income earners is large, largely due to failed economic policies.
The country's economic growth is further hampered by poor infrastructure with substandard transportation networks and an unskilled labor force.