What are the most developed countries in Africa? Do you know? Is Nigeria in the top 5 list? We will answer all these questions presently.
For this report, we will use the Human Development Index to determine the most developed countries on the African continent. Do you know what the Human Development Index Is? It is good that you know, so let us tell you about it.
Human Development Index
Wikipedia describes the Human Development Index (HDI) as “a statistic composite index of life expectancy, education, and per capital income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development. A country scores a higher HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the GDP per capita is higher.”
Essentially, the Human Development Index is used to determine whether a country is developed, developing or underdeveloped. For example, the country judged to be most developed on earth is Norway and it sits comfortably on the top of the Human Development Index with an index value of 0.953.
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So let’s take a look at African countries that have scored high enough on the Human Development Index to be considered developed in Africa. Below are the top 5 most developed countries in Africa.
Top 5 Most Developed Countries In Africa
Let’s take a look.
1. Seychelles
Seychelles, a Country in East Africa, is currently one of the very few countries in Africa with a high Human Development Index.
It is small country with a population of just 95,843 people according to a 2017 World Bank report. The country is made up of an extensive group of islands. It boasts of as many as 115 islands which are sprawled off the coast of East Africa.
The economy of Seychelles is largely dominated by tourism, fishing and agriculture. Currently, the Seychelles nation boasts of having the highest nominal per capita GDP in the entire Africa.
According to the 2018 ranking, Seychelles now has a Human Development Index value of 0.797 making it the most developed nation in the whole of Africa.
Although it is first in Africa, the country is ranked 63 in the world.
2. Mauritius
Mauritius is also a country in East Africa which boasts of having one of the highest Human Development Indexes in Africa. Mauritius is a small Indian Ocean island with a population of 1.265 million according to a 2017 World Bank report. The country is widely known around Africa for its lagoons, beaches and reefs.
The economy of Mauritius economy is dominated largely by its tourism, agricultural and service sectors. The country attracts lots of tourists every year.
With a Human Development Index value of 0.790, Mauritius is ranked as the second most developed nation in Africa and the 65th most developed nation in the world.
3. Algeria
Algeria is a country in North Africa which is quite renowned for its massive oil production. It is, in fact, the third largest oil producing African nation behind Nigeria and Angola.
The Algerian nation has a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior and has a population of 41.32 million according to a 2017 Word Bank report.
As expected, the economy of Algeria is largely dominated by the oil sector. According to OPEC “Algeria has the 16th largest oil reserves in the world and the second largest in Africa, while it has the 9th largest reserves of natural gas.”
Algeria now has a Human Development Index value of 0.754 making it the third most developed country in Africa and and the 83rd most developed in the world.
4. Tunisia
Tunisia is a North African country with a population of 11.53 million according to a 2017 World Bank report. The country which borders the Mediterranean Sea and Sahara Desert, is known to have a lot of archaeological exhibits from the Islamic art to Roman mosaics.
The economy of Tunisia is largely dominated by the agriculture, mining, tourism and manufacturing sectors. The country which has been described as the most competitive in Africa by The World Economic Forum, manages to attract many international companies to herself.
Tunisia now has a Human Development Index value of 0.735 making it the 4th most developed nation in Africa and the 95th most developed nation in the world.
5. Botswana
Botswana is a country in the South of Africa with a population of 2.292 million according to a 2017 World Bank report.
The country has a landscape that is well defined by the Okavango Delta and the Kalahari Desert.
Botswana was previously notorious for being one of the poorest countries in the world but has now transformed itself into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. The economy of Botswana is largely dominated by tourism, cattle and mining.
The country now boasts of a GDP per capita of about $18,825 per year. This is one of the highest in the whole of Africa.
Botswana has a Human Development Index of 0.717 making it the 5th most developed nation in Africa and ranked 101st in the world.
Where Is Nigeria?
This is the list of the top 5 most development countries in Africa by the Human Development Index in 2018. Nigeria which happens to be most populated black nation on earth and which also has the largest economy in Africa, is not on the list.
Nigeria has a Human Development Index value of 0.532 making it the 24th most developed country in Africa and 157th in the world.