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Poorest Countries with Exceptions

Most of the poorest countries of the world are in AFRICA or OCEANIA. Name the poorest countries that are NOT in those continents.
2025. Purchasing power parity. More info here.
Color-coded by continent
Quiz by Quizmaster
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Last updated: April 25, 2025
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First submittedNovember 25, 2015
Times taken120,363
Average score71.4%
Rating4.72
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Per Capita
Country
$1,588
North Korea
$1,675
Yemen
$2,164
Afghanistan
$3,042
Haiti
$4,916
East Timor
$5,715
Nepal
$5,924
Myanmar
Per Capita
Country
$6,048
Tajikistan
$6,375
Syria
$6,951
Pakistan
$7,927
Honduras
$8,397
Venezuela
$8,646
Cambodia
$8,646
Kyrgyzstan
Per Capita
Country
$8,781
Nicaragua
$9,107
Laos
$10,125
Bangladesh
$10,265
Jordan
$11,508
Bolivia
$11,798
Lebanon
$11,892
Cuba
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102 Comments
bpd27
+71
Level 48
Dec 6, 2015
Good quiz. I really like this one
Sophia458
+7
Level 18
Jan 18, 2017
not really
CarsonUotila
+6
Level 45
Mar 30, 2020
It was a decent quiz. I got 17/20 so I am unhappy. I have seen poor countries and most are African. NO AFRICAN COUNTRIES IS RIDICULOUS!
TheAlternateNY
+177
Level 66
Sep 15, 2020
someone didn't care nor read the instructions.
YouLoveEagle
+6
Level 49
Jul 18, 2022
someone didn’t care to pay attention in school or grammar, he/she means that he/she thinks that no African nations are ridiculous because that’s where most poor countries are
liljedahl
+47
Level 58
Apr 25, 2023
What are you even talking about @YouLoveEagle?
Koopa
+26
Level 82
May 3, 2023
Judging by that sentence structure, clearly you didn't, either.
Liopleurodon
+19
Level 66
Dec 6, 2015
Surprised Moldova was on this list, never knew they were so poor

Can probably blame it on the Soviet Union

Sulps
+45
Level 56
Dec 9, 2015
Already in the USSR, the Western regions were richer than Siberia and Central Asia. Some countries (e.g. Estonia, Russia, Kazakhstan) have been able to rebuild their economy after independence. The ones that haven't (e.g. Moldova, Ukraine, Tajikistan), have had an unstable political situation and now are poorer than during the Cold War.
JBrommit
+9
Level 66
Oct 24, 2016
I mostly learned about Moldova from having a college roommate from there for a while (I wound up with a LOT of East European housemates over the three years I lived in a student rental...). I knew where it was on the map, and that was about it (that impressed him enough as it was!), and he was happy to tell me about how poor it was, but conversely how much cheaper everything was there too. Being landlocked and formerly a part of the USSR certainly didn't help it. :P Also, the guy was trilingual from growing up there, he spoke fluent Romanian, Russian AND English and spoke decent French too. DAMN was I jealous.
DuvalTilWeDie
+2
Level 54
Jan 24, 2020
Hello 2015! 2020 here, welcome Molova!
Roger77024
+18
Level 57
Dec 6, 2015
Next up - Richest outside Europe & North America?
Jiaozira
+28
Level 71
Sep 25, 2016
Good idea, but most countries in North America aren't exactly rich.
kalbahamut
+7
Level 81
Mar 17, 2018
Reless already made that quiz
Seba
+4
Level 70
Dec 29, 2015
What about East Timor?
samiamco
+8
Level 68
Jul 9, 2016
It seems to me Seba is correct! East Timor is in Asia, not Oceania, and certainly fits the financial criteria.
PjotrL
+2
Level 76
Oct 16, 2017
Indeed, the latest data would include East Timor; we could also have the Palestine debate, but let's save that for another day and just include East Timor. :)
CardinalSin
+5
Level 80
Jan 9, 2020
No, East Timor is in Oceania. Discuss.
Malbaby
+6
Level 70
Apr 20, 2016
Surprised that Pakistan is listed as 11th poorest nation in this list when it is listed 10th greatest Armaments Importer 2015.... it's all a matter of priorities.
furqanahmad
+1
Level 26
Jul 3, 2020
Its because one of their provinces has tribal people, and those millions of people just move around and dont accept gov aid, the rest of the nation is relatively stable
agoel
+7
Level 65
Apr 23, 2023
"The rest of it is relatively stable compared to the least stable part of it"
Algernon
+8
Level 73
May 9, 2017
Sigh! Try two of the former Soviet "Stans" and they aren't in it so give up on them and move along. Sure enough the other three are the three answers I missed.
Evers15
+1
Level 3
Jul 28, 2017
Wrong wrong wrong Malawi should be on there.quizzmaster your

wrong correct me if I'm wrong???

TheSavageGeographer
+22
Level 45
Oct 16, 2017
Evers15, first of all read the title and the directions for this quiz. If you're so good at geography and you can't figure that out I'm going to crack up XD. NO AFRICAN COUNTRIES
Revolution
+3
Level 25
Nov 11, 2017
It's not all cracked up to be
fitheach
+4
Level 58
Apr 25, 2021
You're wrong. There, you're corrected!
Evers15
+1
Level 3
Jul 28, 2017
And I know everything about geography (capitals countries poorest countries in the world!!!!
POOCH
+27
Level 72
Mar 14, 2019
And apparently know nothing about reading directions or humility.
Evers15
+3
Level 3
Jul 28, 2017
Sorry I missed punctuation
buck1017
+23
Level 78
Feb 5, 2018
You also missed the instructions at the beginning of the quiz.
Dijko
+1
Level 45
Jan 1, 2018
Got 11/20 but the only reasons I got the Stans is because most of them are dictatorships, so I thought "Lets give it a shot"
PacoGee
+1
Level 44
Mar 17, 2018
lol I did too, cause well no Africa.. no countries in Europe saveone I knew... ;)
JWatson24
+9
Level 71
Apr 25, 2021
It's a common misconception to assume that dictatorships correlate with poverty. Keep in mind that Saudi Arabia is both incredibly autocratic and incredibly wealthy, and that South Korea and Singapore had incredible developmental successes under dictators.

Political instability and corruption correlate better with poverty than just autocracy. China is a very stable dictatorship; India is a pretty unstable democracy. It's pretty clear which one is doing better now economically. I'm not endorsing dictatorship of course, I just want to point this out.

buck1017
+4
Level 78
Feb 5, 2018
It's amazing that no matter how many quizzes I do, I NEVER see Suriname or Guyana on any of them. I could have sworn that one of them would be a shoe-in for this one.
PacoGee
+1
Level 44
Mar 17, 2018
if you ask me both those are poorer than many of the countries on this list. Moldova and Burma/Myannamr are both really poor as well.
kalbahamut
+3
Level 81
Mar 17, 2018
Moldova and Myanmar make the list. The poorest country in South America is Bolivia. Guyana is the 2nd poorest. But both are less poor than India.
furqanahmad
+1
Level 26
Jul 3, 2020
Why india isnt on the list, its certainly the poorest i think
AbhishekNS
+4
Level 57
Jul 21, 2020
@furqanahmad Is that what they teach you in Pakistani Madrasas? India is certainly not the poorest. Infact it is is far better than any of the countries in South Asia.
kalbahamut
+7
Level 81
Sep 15, 2020
India only barely avoids inclusion on this list. Pretty dirt poor country. It's just not the lowest of the low. And actually if you take away the PPP adjustment then it's poorer than Honduras, Vietnam, Laos, Moldova and Bolivia.
1ProximaCentauri
+4
Level 54
Apr 25, 2021
@Kalbahamut, but the Indian Economy is the fastest growing in the world. It has also declined in Poverty by 16 percent.
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
Apr 26, 2021
but now it's on the list
divantilya
+2
Level 36
Jul 22, 2018
Suriname and Guyana, while not rich by any stretch of the imagination, have bauxite and other minerals which keep them more or less afloat.
Nickelz
+1
Level 67
Sep 20, 2023
this didn't age well
Sulps
+1
Level 56
Jul 17, 2019
Guyana and Suriname have quite low population density and quite high Hindu population. You might want to look for quizzes like that.
Sifhraven
+1
Level 73
Jul 31, 2024
Yea for suriname I seem to remember low population density and diversity of animal species
ihavenogoodname
+2
Level 61
Mar 17, 2018
Can't believeI forgot Uzbekistan. I even tried all other Stans, but I guess I forgot this one.
Dijko
+1
Level 45
Mar 17, 2018
I got 19 out of 20. Spelled Kyrgyzstan wrong. Dang it.
ander217
+3
Level 75
Mar 20, 2018
I know how that country should be spelled, but it usually takes me several times to make my fingers type it correctly. It always takes up time for me. When I'm Queen of the World, I'll change the name to Kystan. :)
Malbaby
+3
Level 70
May 20, 2019
I think you spelt 'Kystan' incorrectly.
Sifhraven
+4
Level 73
Jul 17, 2019
And Kastan, Uzstan, Tustan*, Tastan and Afstan, (and perhaps Azjan)

*you could argue turkstan

plus then I would also say kyrstan

mynameisxyz
+2
Level 38
Mar 17, 2018
My economics textbook is all wrong...Bhutan is poorer than India in it.
Dartfrog724
+1
Level 18
Mar 17, 2018
20/20 easy quiz 3:03 left
Quizfalcon
+2
Level 69
Mar 17, 2018
I forgot Haiti!!!
roteswasser
+1
Level 45
Mar 19, 2018
expected kosovo, lebanon or more carribean islands (like st. lucia and stuff)
RollingThunder46
+1
Level 30
Mar 19, 2018
east timor is in oceania isnt it?
roteswasser
+3
Level 45
Mar 20, 2018
it went independent from indonesia, and indonesia is asian.

the only oceanian country from those islands between the asian continent and stralia is papua new guinea.

MrSchickadance
+1
Level 63
Mar 19, 2018
East Timor with 2 seconds left! H-U-N-D-O!!!
TomatosRaafatos
+3
Level 75
Mar 20, 2018
Forgot Afghanistan!!! 😭😭😭
divantilya
+2
Level 36
Jul 22, 2018
Surprised to see Syria and Yemen on this list. Don't they have oil like their Saudi and Omani neighbors?
kalbahamut
+8
Level 81
May 8, 2019
They both have some but not as much as their neighbors; corruption, political turmoil and civil war have kept their resources from being fully exploited.
Geographyearth
+2
Level 69
Oct 18, 2018
Would have thought Bolivia would be poorer than moldova
kiwiquizzer
+1
Level 68
Jul 17, 2019
Well I forgot Syria. I was sure I had covered the globe!
Sifhraven
+2
Level 73
Jul 17, 2019
A map would be very nice with this one, to see how things are distributed over the world.
Geographystar
+2
Level 68
Jul 17, 2019
In the last 15 seconds I got Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, I did not know I could type that fast!
loganite
+2
Level 91
Jul 17, 2019
I don't want to start another whole Cyprus thing...but isn't East Timor generally considered to be part of Oceania, much like Papua New Guinea is?
Staypawsom3YT
+1
Level 39
Jul 17, 2019
It depends where you draw the line
CardinalSin
+1
Level 80
Jan 9, 2020
North of Timor, obviously.
Nickelz
+1
Level 67
Sep 20, 2023
No? It's generally considered to be in Asia.
Staypawsom3YT
+1
Level 39
Jul 17, 2019
Moldova? Huh? Well ok I guess xD
kalbahamut
+2
Level 81
May 28, 2020
They haven't earned the title poorest country in Europe for nothing.
MomTo3Boys
+1
Level 40
Jun 23, 2020
I can't believe Malawi isn't on this list.
dsaved
+9
Level 69
Jul 21, 2020
Probably because this quiz is about countries that are NOT in Africa and Oceania.
SWATkun
+2
Level 59
Jul 21, 2020
Surprised to see Uzbekistan but not India
TrickyTags
+2
Level 67
Jun 5, 2023
The quiz has been updated.
Findlay
+2
Level 81
Apr 15, 2021
It amazes me how dirt poor the former Soviet republics of Central Asia are (with the exception of Kazakhstan). I mean, they were part of a superpower until not so long ago and yet they make this list - a list the likes of Iraq and Vietnam miss out on.
joeythelemur
+1
Level 82
Apr 16, 2021
Every superpower had areas that were not as modern or prosperous, especially one as huge and wide ranging as the USSR.

And you realize the soviet communist/socialist system itself is to blame for leaving those areas high and dry once the USSR broke up? It's not by coincidence that there is a ton of corruption and poor governance, and very little in the way of proper support for entrepreneurship there.

jmellor13
+3
Level 67
Apr 25, 2021
The Soviet -stans are landlocked and lack natural resources. Given that, they'd need some kind of innovative production economy to compete, which usually requires a government that is most interested in serving its people. The governments in this area tend to be autocratic and corrupt, with a primary interest in maintaining power and quelling dissent. You add in the facts that these countries were born of the Soviet economic system and they have many tribal citizens uninterested in economic might, and you've got a recipe for poverty.
Ainmclarach
+1
Level 66
Jun 11, 2025
Turkmenistan has some of the largest natural gas reserves in the world, but the various dictators who’ve been in power for the last few decades have squandered all that potential wealth by selling gas cheap to Russia and building golden statues of their dogs, of themselves and the single largest collection of marble buildings in the world.
tyleranwar
+1
Level 79
Apr 16, 2021
expected Iraq to be here, but turns out they're at 11,000+, close to Iran
BelfastJon
+1
Level 26
Apr 25, 2021
Cuba is not on the list ? You could have knocked me over with a feather !
BelfastJon
+2
Level 26
Apr 25, 2021
Add a map.
SirPhilippines
+5
Level 71
Apr 25, 2021
Why? It is completely unnecessary.
nojik
+1
Level 67
Apr 25, 2021
i forgot india -_-
eggie
+1
Level 33
Apr 25, 2021
i missed uzbekistan
jmellor13
+3
Level 67
Apr 26, 2021
North Korea is the wealthiest and most prosperous nation in the world. This whole list is suspect.
WaymanBeck
+6
Level 58
Oct 31, 2021
At least one family seems to be doing pretty well there
TrickyTags
+2
Level 67
Jun 11, 2025
Yes, according to North Korea itself.
sergeantmalice
+1
Level 56
Jun 24, 2022
I started tackling Asia first then kinda got in the zone and forgot this rest included other continents, then I nearly ran out of time scanning Asia for the 5th time for the countries I missed...
MalyJacus
+3
Level 59
Aug 8, 2022
I bet Sri Lanka would make the list now (August 2022).
Zefyrinus
+2
Level 73
Jun 13, 2023
It's 2023 now and it's not on the list. I'm surprised actually.
SpartanLlama
+1
Level 74
Apr 23, 2023
2:27
Chump772
+2
Level 56
Jun 13, 2023
Got everything but #1
Quizmaster
+4
Level ∞
Apr 25, 2025
I wish we had more up-to-date numbers on North Korea. The IMF doesn't provide data for North Korea, so I'm using an old estimate from CIA World Factbook.
TheSinnohman
+3
Level 62
Apr 25, 2025
Wow, the gap between the top two was a lot bigger before this update. North Korea is still on top, though. All hail the Supreme Leader!
kangaroosix
+5
Level 72
Apr 26, 2025
Wow I didn't expect Jordan to be on there but not Iran or Iraq
AllHailKingHomer
+2
Level 79
Apr 27, 2025
Missed North Korea. FTF, lol
Alexquiz17
+2
Level 93
Apr 27, 2025
Holiday anyone? I mean, I’d go to Cuba, but probably take a pass on most of the others…
PjotrL
+1
Level 76
Jun 11, 2025
Sure, why not? Been to 9 of these, so far.
MalyJacus
+1
Level 59
Jun 11, 2025
Ditto, same as Piotrek, I have been to a half-dozen of these, including Cuba... but some in course of medical missions not as a tourist per se. Most are reasonably safe (& Cuba is ultra safe, albeit for a risk of being detained for political reasons)... Now that I have kids wouldn't do it again.
ManicBrown
+1
Level 50
Jun 11, 2025
I got 19/21 and somehow missed the most guessed one
FreeStater
+1
Level 78
Jun 11, 2025
Jordan and Lebanon? I had no idea they were that poor.
partdavid
+1
Level 74
Jun 11, 2025
It would be a little useful to know upfront what the color code is.
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