1. Sudan – Slowest growth

Expected 2012 GDP growth: – 7.3%

This North African country has endured decades of war and ethnic conflict.

2. Congo – Lowest GDP per capita

Estimated GDP per capita in 2012: 231.51 USD per year

Despite having abundant resources, the Democratic Republic of Congo has always suffered from war, conflict, poverty and corruption since gaining independence in 1960. Recently, the country’s economy has been gradually recovering.

3. Belarus – Highest inflation

Expected inflation 2012: 65.9%

Belarus has been under the administration of President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994 and has always been known as the last dictatorship in Europe.

High inflation is partly due to increased salaries of government officials to support the dictatorship.

4. Macedonia – Highest unemployment

Projected unemployment rate in 2012: 31.2%

This rate in Macedonia has been consistently high for many years now.

5. Japan – Highest public debt

Debt to GDP 2012 expected: 235.8%

If considered on many other indicators, Japan’s economy is still the top in the world.

However, Japan is struggling with government debt.

At the end of May, credit rating agency Fitch downgraded Japan’s rating on the grounds that public debt control policies were too `lax`.

Ha Thu (according to CNN)