The National Football League is one of the most profitable businesses in the country. Football fans everywhere have at least one NFL team they watch play religiously, and many people who aren’t NFL fans still watch the Super Bowl every year. It’s one of the biggest sports in the world, and the NFL sees plenty of profit from it. Even though it’s considered a non-profit organization by the IRS, the NFL still pulled in more than $9 billion alone in the past year. That’s more than these 20 countries earned in the past year.
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Swaziland
The gross domestic product (GDP) is an overview of what a country makes based on what it has to offer through its goods and services. Swaziland has a GDP of approximately $3.62 billion despite the fact that it’s a relatively tiny country in Africa that most people haven’t even heard of. The country has its own motto: We hide ourselves away. This is true as it isn’t a tourist destination or a major manufacturer of any goods or services the vast majority of people utilize.
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Malawi
Another African country that doesn’t make even half as much as the NFL is Malawi with its $3.84 billion annual revenue. This is surprising given the fact that Malawi is actually one of the world’s most densely populated and least-developed countries. More than 85 percent of the population live in rural developments. This makes it a largely agricultural country, which is where it sees 90 percent of its profit.
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Fiji
It’s known as a beautiful location and a popular tourist destination, which is why it’s a little surprising that this beautiful Pacific country makes less money than the NFL. Annually, the country brings in approximately $4.037 billion in revenue, mostly from its water industry. People all over the world are willing to spend the extra money on Fiji water because it’s smooth taste and the fact that its bottled in one of the most beautiful countries on the planet.
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Mauritania
While you may never have heard of this very large African country, it’s one that does make $4.187 billion each year. Iron ore is one of the main exports in this country, accounting for at least half of all revenue. Most of the people who live her live on less than $2 per day, growing and planting agriculture for the country. This is also a country with one of the highest slave populations in the world.
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Barbados
Its famous for things like producing music superstar Rihanna, but that’s not where Barbados makes its money. That’s just its claim to fame aside from being a beautiful tropical paradise to which vacationers flock year-round. It’s a small country of only 167 square miles, but that doesn’t stop this country from earning more than $4.284 billion annually, just under half of what the NFL earns.
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Togo
With revenue of $4.36 billion in 2013, this very small country is pretty well-to-do, even if that means it only makes half of what the NFL makes each year. It’s highly dependent on the agricultural industry, which provides the vast majority of the revenue this country boasts each year. It’s a small African country that borders Ghana, but it is not very well-known.
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Montenegro
The World Bank considers this small European country a middle income country with annual revenue of $4.377 billion. The main source of income for this small county is service based market economy and foreign direct investments. Essentially, this means that when the economy crashes in Europe, this country will lose significant revenue.
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Sierra Leone
Yet another African country that doesn’t even make as much money as the NFL is Sierra Leone. Annually, the country brings in $4.788 billion. The economic base of this small country is mining, particularly diamonds. Those who wear some of the most brilliant diamonds available can probably thank this country for their expensive baubles.
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Suriname
Located in South America, Suriname is a relatively unknown country that brings in an annual revenue of $5.057 billion. Known for exporting rice, shrimp and bananas, the country owes most of its annual revenue to the bauxite industry. However, it’s also been exporting much of its sizable oil and gold reserves as of late.
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Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste has annual revenue of $6.147 billion. The country depends on its exports to earn revenue. These exports include some of the world’s most well-used items, such as coffee, sandalwood, oil and marble. It also has its own oil and gas reserves, which means it does not have to rely on purchasing those from other countries, which helps its annual income.
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Guinea
With nearly $6.282 billion in revenue each year, Guinea is known for its mining industry. The country has half of the world’s bauxite reserves, which make up approximately 80 percent of the country’s export trade. Guinea is also a major producer of the world’s uranium supply, diamonds, gold, and ore. These resources bring in the vast majority of the country’s wealth each year.
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Kosovo
Famous for the 78 day NATO assault on Serbia, Kosovo is one of the more well-known countries that makes less money than the NFL. In 2013, the country earned approximately $6.827 billion. The import business is the biggest in Kosovo. Only about 14 percent of revenue comes from taxation and the rest comes from taxes picked up at the port thanks to imports.
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Kyrgyzstan
In 2013, this Russian country earned $7.225 billion thanks to agriculture. It’s the main source of revenue for this Central Asian country. It’s considered the second poorest country in Central Asia and nearly a third of all Kyrgyzstan residents live well below the national poverty level. The country also does a significant amount of livestock business, thanks to its mountainous regions.
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Niger
It only makes sense that Niger makes $7.359 billion annually, as it is bigger than each of the countries mentioned thus far. Technically, Niger is considered a developing country. The primary source of revenue for Niger is uranium, livestock and crops. Unfortunately, the world’s declining need for uranium has affected the economy in Niger in recent years.
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Rwanda
It’s a country with a rich and turbulent history, but it still managed to earn revenue of $7.431 billion last year alone. The agricultural industry makes up 90 percent of Rwanda’s revenue. Otherwise, the country lacks significantly in natural resources. Furthermore, it’s still recovering from Genocide in 1994. After that, the country lost much of its revenue and control over the people.
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Moldova
It’s a small Romanian country that brings in revenue of approximately $7.935 annually. Energy and wine are two of the biggest resources and sources of revenue for Moldova. Despite its recent economic growth, this is a country that has substandard living conditions in the vast majority of households. It’s one of the poorest countries in all of Europe.
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Benin
Located in Western Africa, it’s yet another relatively unheard of country that makes less money than the NFL, but still makes a significant amount of money for a country of its size. In 2012, Benin made approximately $8.31 billion. The country is dependent on regional trade, cotton production and agriculture for its revenue and its job force.
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The Bahamas
Made up of over 700 islands, the Bahamas are a huge tourist destination. Many celebrities own vacation homes – and private islands – here as do most of the major cruise lines. With annual revenue of $8.367 billion last year, the Bahamas still make less than the NFL, but since they rely primarily on the tourism trade to fund their lifestyle, they’re doing very well.
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Haiti
Haiti’s annual income in 2013 was $8.458 billion. Tourism is a big industry in Haiti, but agriculture is what brings in the revenue. This is surprising given the fact that the country relies heavily on imported foods to feed its residents. It’s also a very poor country, with more than 80 percent of residents living in extreme poverty.
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Tajikistan
Tajikistan makes less than the NFL each year, but it makes more than any other country with revenue less than the National Football League. In 2013, this country brought in $8.497 billion. It’s a landlocked country that borders both Afghanistan and China. Surprisingly, it’s the poorest country in its nation. Famine has struck this country more than ones, and severe droughts often make it impossible for the country to produce enough food to earn revenue or feed residents.
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