16. Malawi
Life expectancy at birth (in years): 62.9
Mean years of schooling: 4.5
Gross national income per capita: $1,466
Food insecurity, HIV/AIDS, limited arable land and a fast growing population have all impeded Malawi’s growth.
15. Yemen
Life expectancy at birth (in years): 63.8
Mean years of schooling: 3.2
Gross national income per capita: $1,314
Yemen has been the battleground for a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran. The proxy war has destroyed the political stability and infrastructure of Yemen in the past several years.
14. Liberia
Life expectancy at birth (in years): 60.7
Mean years of schooling: 5.1
Gross national income per capita: $1,289
With a GDP of just over $3 billion in 2026, Liberia’s economy remains extremely undeveloped.
13. Afghanistan
Life expectancy at birth (in years): 62.0
Mean years of schooling: 3.0
Gross national income per capita: $1,824
Afghanistan has been a battleground for several decades. These wars have left the country suffering from deep economic and social problems which are expected to worsen in the coming years.
12. Sierra Leone
Life expectancy at birth (in years): 60.1
Mean years of schooling: 4.6
Gross national income per capita: $1,622
Sierra Leone was attempting to achieve middle-income status by 2035 and was performing well in this regard, but an Ebola outbreak in 2014 resulted in the progress being halted, not to mention the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic which resulted in the economy of the nation contracting by 2%.