Landlocked developing countries

Landlocked developing countries, or LLDCs, are special groups of nations that are both developing and do not have a coast on the ocean. Because they lack access to the sea, these countries often face big challenges. Many of them are among the poorest places in the world, with most people living in conditions that make it very hard to grow or get ahead.

Outside of Europe, no landlocked country is very wealthy, and many of the least developed countries are landlocked. In fact, nine of the twelve countries with the lowest scores on a measure called the Human Development Index are landlocked. European landlocked countries do better because they are closely connected to the big market in Europe.

Being landlocked makes trade much more expensive. Countries that need to send goods far over land pay about double what their neighbors with coasts pay. This also means these countries grow about 6% slower each year than countries that can use the ocean for trade.

Right now, 32 of the world's 44 landlocked countries are considered Landlocked Developing Countries. This includes all the landlocked countries in Africa, Asia, and South America. As of 2012, about 442.8 million people lived in these LLDCs, and many of them face big challenges because of where their homes are.

UN-OHRLLS

Main article: United Nations Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries and Small Island Developing States

The United Nations has a special office that helps least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states. This office believes that landlocked countries face big challenges because they are far from the sea and have difficult terrain. These problems make it hard for these countries to sell their goods to other parts of the world.

Landlocked countries also struggle because they cannot reach the sea directly, which makes trade more difficult. They often have to wait a long time at borders to move goods, which causes delays and extra costs. For example, goods moving from Uganda to Kenya can face long waits at border crossings, making it hard to plan shipping from ports like Mombasa. These delays make it even harder for landlocked countries to succeed in global markets.

Dependency problems

Some thinkers believe that being landlocked makes it hard for countries to grow. However, others argue that landlocked countries depend a lot on their neighboring countries. This means that even if a landlocked country has good roads or is close to a port, it still needs help from its neighbors to move goods and trade.

For example, when a neighboring country does well, the landlocked country often benefits too. This shows that improving conditions in neighboring countries can help landlocked ones grow. Some landlocked countries, like those in Central Asia, have rich resources such as oil and minerals, which can boost their economies. However, they still face challenges because they rely on their neighbors for trade routes and infrastructure.

Specific examples include:

• Burundi has good roads but must use longer routes to reach ports because of poor connections in neighboring countries.
• Mali struggled to export goods when many of its neighbors were in civil wars.
• Central African Republic has seasonal export routes depending on weather conditions in neighboring countries.
• Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have grown due to natural resources but face risks from market price changes.
• Armenia depends on Georgia for trade because neighboring countries block its access to ports.
• Nepal has faced economic crises due to blockades by India, its main trading partner.

Almaty Ministerial Conference

In August 2003, a big meeting called the Almaty Ministerial Conference happened in Almaty, Kazakhstan. This meeting was important because it was the first time countries came together to help landlocked developing countries, which often struggle because they don’t have easy access to oceans for trade.

The meeting talked about ways to make travel and trade easier for these countries. They wanted to make rules simpler, build better roads and railways, and help landlocked countries sell their products better. The meeting also asked richer countries to help improve infrastructure in nearby countries so that trade could flow more smoothly.

Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries

In August 2025, the third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries was held in Awaza, Turkmenistan. The meeting aimed to improve trade routes, economic strength, and financial support for countries without coasts.

The conference was delayed twice. It was first planned for August 2024 in Rwanda, then for December 2024 in Gaborone, Botswana. During the meeting, leaders agreed on a plan called the Awan Programme of Action to help these countries grow and stay strong until 2034. The plan focuses on five key areas: creating new jobs, working together with nearby countries, making travel easier, protecting the environment, and putting the plan into action.

Current LLDCs

Landlocked developing countries are nations without access to the sea. Many of these countries face big challenges, which is why most of them are among the world's poorest places. Outside of Europe, there are very few rich landlocked countries. In fact, nine of the world's least developed countries are landlocked.

Here are the current landlocked developing countries:

Africa (16 countries)

• Botswana
• Burkina Faso
• Burundi
• Central African Republic
• Chad
• Eswatini
• Ethiopia
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mali
• Niger
• Rwanda
• South Sudan
• Uganda
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

Asia (12 countries)

• Afghanistan
• Armenia
• Azerbaijan
• Bhutan
• Kazakhstan
• Kyrgyzstan
• Laos
• Mongolia
• Nepal
• Tajikistan
• Turkmenistan
• Uzbekistan

Europe (2 countries)

• Moldova
• North Macedonia

South America (2 countries)

• Bolivia
• Paraguay