7 Of The Poorest Countries In Asia 2024, One Of Them Is ASEAN Members

Illustration of poverty (photo: Pixabay/RavendraSingh)

YOGYAKARTA Many countries on the Asian continent are still in poverty grip. Some of them even have very low per capita gross domestic product (GDP) and fall into the poorest country category in Asia

Quoting the World Population Review, GDP per capita is one indicator to measure the economic level of a country. GDP per capita itself is the total GDP of a country divided by the population of the country.

So, which countries are categorized as the poorest countries in Asia 2024? Here's the full list.

1. Afghanistan

Afghanistan is ranked first in the poorest country in Asia. Based on World Population Review data, GDP per capita of this country is only US$508 or around Rp7.77 million.

The difficult economic conditions in Afghanistan are caused by prolonged armed conflict, government corruption, and a huge income gap. Because of this, most Afghans are on the poverty line, even their lives are threatened with the lack of daily income they can get.

2. North Korea

In contrast to South Korea, North Korea has a fairly difficult economic condition. The poverty that occurs in the country led by Kim Jong Un is influenced by poor governance and there is no access to the free market there. Currently, North Korea's GDP per capita is only US$642 or around Rp9.82 million.

In 2020, it is estimated that around 60 percent of North Korea's population will live below the poverty and hunger line.

3. Nepal

Despite having abundant natural resources, most of Nepal's population has lived below the poverty line.

World Population Review data shows that Nepal has a per capita income of 1,155 US dollars or around Rp. 17,67 million.

Poverty in Nepal is caused by political instability, high levels of corruption, lack of industry, to income dependence on the agricultural sector.

4. Tajikistan

Tajikistan consistently ranks third or fourth as the poorest country in Asia.

Lack of infrastructure causes the economy of Tajiskita to stagnate. Many skilled people go abroad to get better jobs.

In addition, poverty in Tajikistan has also been caused by civil war that has occurred since the 1990s. This war destroyed about a fifth of schools in the country and eliminated children's ability to get education.

5. Yemen

Yemen is one of the least developed countries in the world. Poverty in Yemen stems from continuing civil war, corruption, and mismanagement of the economy.

The civil war makes 79 percent of Yemen's population have to live below the poverty line and 65 percent are categorized as very poor.

According to the World Population Review, per capita income in Yemen is only US$824 or around Rp. 12.6 million.

6. Kyrgyzstan

Based on GDP per capita, Kyrgyzstan is the sixth poorest country in Asia with a GDP of around 1,173 US dollars or around Rp. 17.94 million.

About 32 percent of the Kirgistan population lives below the poverty line. The biggest cause of poverty in Kyrgyzstan is its dependence on agriculture and the knowledge and resource gap between its population.

Kyrgyzstan also has the few natural resources the world wants, and can only export cotton and tobacco. In addition, many areas in Kyrgyzstan lack adequate banking and financial services, which hinder investment and economic growth.

7. Cambodia

Cambodia has very few human resources and large income inequality.

Despite recent economic achievements, one of the ASEAN member countries continues to fight against poverty, and the government has not carried out much infrastructure development needed to lift millions of its people out of poverty. Currently, GDP per Cambodia's capita is reported at 1,700 US dollars or around Rp. 27.8 million.

That's the information about the poorest country in Asia. Get news updates of other options only on VOI.ID.