Overview
UN-OHRLLS supports three groups of countries whose economic and geographic circumstances create persistent development barriers. Each group is identified through measurable criteria, and a number of nations fall into more than one group, deepening the difficulties they must navigate.
Taken together, these 91 countries account for a major share of the global population. Accelerating their progress is central to meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring every nation can participate in shared prosperity.
Least Developed Countries (LDCs)
The UN Committee for Development Policy designates 45 nations as least developed countries, applying three benchmarks: per-capita gross national income, a composite measure of human well-being, and an index capturing economic and environmental fragility. Most LDCs are located in sub-Saharan Africa, while the remainder span the Asia-Pacific region and the Caribbean.
Sub-Saharan Africa
33 countries form the largest regional bloc. These nations contend with underdeveloped transport and energy networks, stretched public institutions, and recurring climate-related shocks.
Asia-Pacific
8 countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Myanmar. Several grapple with remote terrain, economies reliant on a handful of sectors, and high exposure to floods, cyclones, and earthquakes.
Caribbean & Other
Haiti remains the only LDC in the Western Hemisphere. Timor-Leste and a small number of other nations outside the main regional clusters each deal with context-specific development barriers shaped by their geography and history.
Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs)
Without direct access to the ocean, the 32 landlocked developing countries bear considerably higher costs to move goods across borders. They depend on neighbouring transit states for port access, and logistics expenses can run two to three times above what coastal economies pay, limiting their integration into global trade networks.
Africa
16 landlocked nations including Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, and Mali. Building cross-border transport corridors and deepening regional trade agreements are top priorities for this group.
Central & South Asia
9 countries including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, and Bhutan. Freight must cross multiple jurisdictions with different customs rules and standards, driving up time and cost at every border.
Europe & South America
Moldova and North Macedonia in Europe; Bolivia and Paraguay in South America. All four are actively investing in better road and rail links and negotiating streamlined transit arrangements with their neighbours.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
The 39 small island developing states share a distinctive set of risks: remoteness from major markets, small populations, scarce land and mineral wealth, economies concentrated in very few industries, and heavy exposure to climate hazards and natural disasters. For several of these nations, accelerating sea-level rise threatens the very land on which they exist.
Caribbean
16 nations including Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados. Annual hurricane seasons, declining coral ecosystems, and economies tightly linked to tourism revenues define the region's outlook.
Pacific
14 nations including Fiji, Tonga, Samoa, and Tuvalu. Climbing ocean levels, limited freshwater supplies, and vast distances from trading partners present constant obstacles to growth.
Atlantic, Indian Ocean & South China Sea
9 nations including Maldives, Mauritius, and Cabo Verde. Sustainable management of marine resources, stronger ocean governance frameworks, and practical measures against rising temperatures sit at the top of the agenda.
Common Development Challenges
Although each group of countries confronts its own set of obstacles, a number of recurring issues affect LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS alike.
Economic Vulnerability
Economies concentrated in a small number of commodity exports, leaving them acutely sensitive to swings in global prices and disruptions in international trade flows.
Climate and Environment
Heavily exposed to climate risks, frequent natural disasters, and deteriorating ecosystems, while possessing few financial and technical resources to adapt.
Infrastructure Deficits
Inadequate roads, unreliable power grids, weak internet coverage, and limited public-service networks all slow economic activity and private investment.
Institutional Capacity
Thin budgets and small workforces strain government planning, statistical systems, regulatory oversight, and the delivery of basic services to citizens.
Financing Gaps
Low tax revenues, restricted access to global capital markets, and elevated debt burdens make it difficult to fund the investments these countries need most.
Human Capital
Gaps in schooling, healthcare access, and workforce training hold back productivity gains and make broader economic diversification harder to achieve.