While some countries look wealthy from the outside, scratch beneath the surface and their economic reality is actually very different.

Using the World Bank's most recent GDP-per-capita figures, which quantify each country's economic output per person and better reflect the population's wealth, read on as we look at 12 countries that aren't as rich as you might think.

All dollar amounts in US dollars unless otherwise stated. 

Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and ranks within the top 30 globally. The nation is awash with oil wealth and boasts the 10th-largest proven oil reserves globally. According to recent figures, it's also the seventh most important exporter of the commodity.

The country's four billionaires have a combined net worth of $26.5 billion (£20.8bn). The country's richest person, Dangote Cement founder Aliko Dangote, sits on a fortune of $13.1 billion (£10.3bn) according to Forbes, making him the wealthiest individual on the continent.

Sadly, wealth disparities are massive in Nigeria. The country is second only to India when it comes to extreme poverty, with estimates suggesting the Nigerian poverty rate will hit 38.8% by the end of this year.

Instead of capitalising on the nation's oil wealth, successive governments have squandered it, and corruption is rife.

Based on the World Bank's latest data, India has the world's fifth-largest economy, eclipsing more advanced economies such as France and Canada.

The country has the fourth-highest number of billionaires on the planet, clocking in at 200 according to Forbes data from April 2024, as well as a large affluent middle class. Cities such as Mumbai boast soaring skyscrapers and the country also has a national space agency, both of which are classic signs of a wealthy nation.

Yet the gap between the rich and poor members of India's 1.4 billion population is glaring. Poverty is rife and, according to the World Poverty Clock, around 34.5 million people (around 2% of the total population) are living in extreme poverty and surviving on just $1.90 (£1.50) or less a day.

More shockingly, as much as half of the population doesn't have access to safe drinking water, while child mortality rates remain alarmingly high.

Indonesia has the largest economy in southeast Asia and is a member of the G20 group of the world's richest nations.

The country is a major exporter of oil and natural gas, and is the 12th-largest manufacturing nation in the world, according to World Population Review. Its bustling capital, Jakarta, is packed with spectacular skyscrapers, high-end shopping malls, and other classic indicators of wealth.

The city is also full of squalid shanty towns, with a jaw-dropping 450 slum areas in total. In fact, almost 20% of Indonesia's population live on just $3.20 (£2.50) or less per day, while more than half the population gets by on $5.50 (£4.30) or less a day.

By contrast, the number of millionaires in the country is expected to reach 134,000 by the end of this year, which is a testament to its high levels of income inequality.

On paper, Iran would appear to be a fantastically wealthy nation. After all, the Middle Eastern country possesses the fourth-largest proven oil reserves in the world, and also has the second-largest proven natural gas reserves.

On top of that, it's home to a highly educated population and a rapidly growing number of high net worth individuals (HNWIs), having overtaken Saudi Arabia in the latter respect. And then there's the Rich Kids of Tehran Instagram account, which has half-a-million followers and showcases the lavish lifestyles of the country's young elite.

In reality, however, Iran is a poor country, having been subject to strict sanctions imposed by the US and other nations since 1979's Iranian Revolution.

Other factors contributing to its impoverishment include a lack of competition in the mostly state-run economy and widespread corruption. Income inequality is high and nearly a third of Iranians live below the poverty line. This status is applied to anyone who has an income of around $200 (£157) or less a month, although reports suggest the number of people living in dire straits is actually closer to 50%. 

Looking at the Ukrainian economy prior to Russia's invasion in February 2022, the country seemed to be a lot wealthier than it actually was. This was in part due to its bountiful natural resources, highly educated population, and status as a leading exporter of agricultural and hard commodities. It also had a strong manufacturing base and had become a leader in providing outsourced IT services.

However, even before the all-out conflict, Ukraine was still Europe's poorest country in terms of GDP per capita. Ukraine has some of the world's lowest levels of income inequality but scores poorly for corruption, a hangover from the previous regime. However, President Zelensky's democratic government has done much to combat this.

Tragically, the economy was battered by Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. In 2022, the year of Russia's invasion, Ukraine's economy is estimated to have shrunk by 30%.

South Africa boasts Africa's second-largest economy and has one of the most diverse and lucrative agricultural sectors in the world. It's also home to abundant mineral reserves, ranging from diamonds and gold to iron ore and coal, and has highly developed manufacturing and tourism industries.

The country also has the highest number of HNWIs in Africa at well over 37,400, and is home to six billionaires. 

Despite these indicators of affluence, South Africa's GDP per capita is painfully modest, coming in at $5,975 (£4,699). The country also has the dubious honour of being the most unequal country in the world: no other has such a wide gap between the haves and have-nots. So while the elite prospers, the majority of the population lives in abject poverty.

The appalling income inequality is partly a vestige of the apartheid system, which resulted in racial segregation. However, corruption and government mismanagement during the three decades since apartheid ended have also played a major part.

Brazil has the eighth-largest global economy and is one of the world's leading mining, agricultural and manufacturing nations. It also has a fast-growing services sector.

The country ranks 26th in the world when it comes to the number of millionaires, and is 10th when it comes to billionaires, with 69 living in Brazil in total. 

Despite those dazzling figures, Brazil's riches rest in the hands of a tiny elite. The gulf between the rich and poor is incredibly wide, with charity Oxfam reporting in 2022 that the country's six wealthiest individuals have the same collective wealth as the poorest 50% of the nation, around 107 million people. 

The Fundação Getulio Vargas think tank estimates that 12.8% of Brazilians, that's 27 million people, are living below the poverty line of $53 (£41.70) per month, a figure that grew markedly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

China's GDP is the second biggest in the world and it's expected to overtake America as the world's largest economic power by 2037.

The Asian powerhouse has the second-highest number of millionaires and billionaires on the planet, while more than half the population is now considered to be middle class, up from just 3% in 2000. China would appear to be a mega-wealthy nation – although things aren't always as they seem...

The GDP per capita of the People's Republic tells another story entirely, and sits at just $13,136 (£10,333). Although by 2020 China had reportedly almost eradicated extreme poverty, as determined by the number of people living on the equivalent of $2.15 (£1.70) a day, it's still a relatively poor nation riven by wealth disparities, and hundreds of millions of the country's 1.4 billion residents live in poverty.

The Russian Federation has the world's 11th-largest economy, with oil and natural gas exports key.

Before its invasion of Ukraine, the vast Eurasian nation supplied around 10% of the world's petroleum, which made up a huge two-thirds of its total exports. The country also provided around 40% of Europe's natural gas. All in all, its fossil fuel exports are incredibly lucrative, particularly for its billionaire oligarchs and political elite.

However, Russia is something of a paper tiger economically. Having dangerously put all its eggs in one basket, the nation is overly reliant on exports of fossil fuels, which are now being hit hard by sanctions and the transition to cleaner energies. Corruption is off the scale, as is income inequality, with the top 1% thought to control 71% of the nation's wealth.

Around 13.5 million Russians live in poverty, the equivalent of 9.3% of the population. Even prior to COVID-19 and the invasion of Ukraine, half of all working Russians were earning less than $550 (£423) a month.

Visitors to Kazakhstan's gleaming new capital, Nur-Sultan, are no doubt bowled over by its magnificence and could easily think they're in one of the world's richest countries.

On the face of it, Kazakhstan has a thriving economy that's bolstered by abundant mineral resources and lots of foreign direct investment. 

While the country isn't quite as extreme as depicted in the Borat movies, the autocratic nation does have a very long way to go before it can be considered affluent.

Corruption is widespread and wealth is unfairly distributed. Half of the country's population lives in rural, economically isolated areas with inferior public services. Low wages and poor living standards are both common.

Mexico has the world's 12th-largest economy, with a GDP of more than a trillion dollars.

Its economy is relatively advanced, with services accounting for two-thirds of GDP, and the North American nation has more than its fair share of wealthy citizens, including billionaires like business giant Carlos Slim Helú.

Nevertheless, Mexico's GDP per capita is almost eight times smaller than its rich neighbour to the north. A fifth of the country's workers are employed in agriculture, though the sector represents only a minuscule part of overall GDP, and around 36% of the population lives in poverty, with many people reliant on money sent from family members working abroad.

Needless to say, income inequality is a major problem in the country. 

The Maldives has established itself as one of the world's premier luxury tourism destinations and is synonymous with once-in-a-lifetime getaways.

The tourism sector accounts for a mighty 75% of the island nation's GDP and generated almost $3.2 billion (£2.5bn) in 2019, the last year unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic. (Though the country welcomed record numbers of tourists last year, financial takings were lower due to reduced spending and shorter stays). Considering the country's relatively small population of just under 520,000, you'd imagine residents would be generally well-off, despite the COVID-related downturn.

However, almost a third of the population lives in poverty. The Multidimensional Poverty Index for Maldives report was compiled in 2020 by the National Bureau of Statistics, with the study conducted in partnership with the UNICEF Regional Office South Asia, UNICEF Maldives, and Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative. 

The index took into consideration factors such as access to education and healthcare, along with income, and showed that 8% of Maldivians scrape by on less than $4.79 (£3.68) a day. Since the figures for that report were collected back in 2016 and 2017, the poverty rate has almost certainly increased as a result of the pandemic.

Now discover the countries that were once poor but are now rich