Image source: www.master-of-finance.org

Africa: From Top To Bottom

For the past decade, Africa’s economy has been growing, on average, by 5.3% per year. But that’s not the full measure of a continent. A recent study looked at 4 different pillars derived from 88 different indicators to help determine which African countries are succeeding and which ones are still struggling.

PILLAR #1: Safety & Rule of Law (21 Indicators)

Rule of Law

– Judicial Process
– Judicial Independence
– Sanctions
– Transfers of Power
– Property Rights

Accountability

– Accountability, Transparency and Corruption in the Public Sector
– Accountability, Transparency and Corruption in Rural Areas
– Corruption and Bureaucracy
– Accountability of Public Officials
– Corruption in Government and Public Officials
– Prosecution of Abuse of Office

Personal Safety

– Domestic Political Persecution
– Social Unrest
– Safety of the Person
– Violent Crime
– Human Trafficking

National Security

– Cross-Border Tensions
– Government Involvement in Armed Conflict
– Domestic Armed Conflict
– Political Refugees
– Internally Displaced People

TOP 5 COUNTRIES

– #1 Botswana
– #2 Mauritius
– #3 Cape Verde
– #4 Namibia
– #5 Seychelles

BOTTOM 5 COUNTRIES

– #48 Congo, Democratic Rep.
– #49 Central African Republic
– #50 Zimbabwe
– #51 Libya
– #52 Somalia

PILLAR #2: Sustainable Economic Opportunity (28 Indicators)

Public Management

– Statistical Capacity
– Public Administration
– Inflation
– Diversification
– Reserves
– Budget Management
– Ratio of Total Revenue to Total Expenditure
– Ratio of Budget Deficit or Surplus to GDP
– Fiscal Policy
– Ratio of External Debt Service to Exports
– Reliability of Financial Institutions
– Revenue Collection

Business Environment

– Competitive Environment
– Investment Climate
– Investment Climate for Rural Businesses
– Rural Financial Services Development
– Bureaucracy and Red Tape

Infrastructure

– Access to Electricity
– Road and Rail Networks
– Air Transport Facilities
– Telephone and IT Infrastructure
– Digital Connectivity

Rural Sector

– Public Resources for Rural Development
– Land and Water for Low-Income Rural Populations
– Agricultural Research and Extension Services
– Agricultural Input and Produce Markets
– Policy and Legal Framework for Rural Organizations
– Dialogue between Government and Rural Organizations

TOP 5 COUNTRIES

– #1 Mauritius
– #2 Tunisia
– #3 Egypt
– #4 Cape Verde
– #5 Botswana

BOTTOM 5 COUNTRIES

– #48 Eritrea
– #49 Comoros
– #50 Congo, Democratic Rep.
– #51 Zimbabwe
– #52 Somalia

PILLAR #3: Human Development (20 Indicators)

Welfare

– Welfare Regime
– Social Protection and Labour
– Social Exclusion
– Welfare Services (Health and Education)
– Equity of Public Resource Use
– Access to Water
– Access to Sanitation
– Environmental Policy
– Environmental Sustainability

Education

– Education Provision and Quality
– Ratio of Pupils to Teachers in Primary School
– Primary School Completion
– Progression to Secondary School
– Tertiary Enrollment
– Literacy

Health

– Maternal Mortality
– Child Mortality
– Immunization (Measles and DPT)
– Antiretroviral Treatment Provision
– Disease (Malaria and TB)

TOP 5 COUNTRIES

– #1 Seychelles
– #2 Mauritius
– #3 Libya
– #4 Tunisia
– #5 Cape Verde

BOTTOM 5 COUNTRIES

– #48 Sierra Leone
– #49 Congo, Democratic Rep.
– #50 Central African Republic
– #51 Chad
– #52 Somalia

PILLAR #4: Participation & Human Rights (19 Indicators)

Participation

– Free and Fair Executive Elections
– Free and Fair Elections
– Political Participation
– Electoral Self-Determination
– Effective Power to Govern

Rights

– Core International Human Rights Conventions
– Human Rights
– Political Rights
– Workers’ Rights
– Freedom of Expression
– Freedom of Association and Assembly
– Civil Liberties

Gender

– Gender Equality
– Gender Balance in Primary and Secondary Education
– Women’s Participation in the Labour Force
– Equal Representation in Rural Areas
– Women in Parliament
– Women’s Rights
– Legislation on Violence against Women

TOP 5 COUNTRIES

– #1 Cape Verde
– #2 Mauritius
– #3 South Africa
– #4 Botswana
– #5 Namibia

BOTTOM 5 COUNTRIES

– #48 Chad
– #49 Equatorial Guinea
– #50 Libya
– #51 Eritrea
– #52 Somalia

OVERALL (from four pillars above)

TOP 5 COUNTRIES

– #1 Mauritius
– #2 Cape Verde
– #3 Botswana
– #4 Seychelles
– #5 South Africa

BOTTOM 5 COUNTRIES

– #48 Central African Republic
– #49 Eritrea
– #50 Chad
– #51 Congo, Democratic Rep.
– #52 Somalia

SOURCES

– http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/downloads/2012-IIAG-summary-report.pdf
– http://www.africaneconomicoutlook.org/en/data-statistics/table-2-real-gdp-growth-rates-2003-2013/
– http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Africa