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Egypt’s external debt interest payments hit a record $9.47 billion in 2023 after six-fold rise since 2016
  • From 1970 through the early 2000s, Egypt’s debt interest payments hovered mostly under $1.5 billion, with fluctuations tied to global oil shocks and debt rescheduling.
  • Payments remained relatively moderate, ranging between $0.7–$1.0 billion annually.
  • Following Egypt’s 2016 IMF programme and rising external borrowing, payments jumped dramatically, climbing from $1.53 billion in 2016 to $6.13 billion in 2022.
  • Interest payments hit an all-time high of $9.47 billion in 2023, underscoring the heavy burden of Egypt’s rapid debt accumulation and exposure to global financing costs.

Algeria leads Africa’s land mass rankings at 2.4 million km², more than 2× the size of Nigeria (924k km²)
  • Algeria is Africa’s largest country, covering 2.4 million km², slightly bigger than the Democratic Republic of Congo (2.3 million km²).
  • Sudan (1.9 million km²) and Libya (1.8 million km²) complete the top four, showing that North Africa dominates the list of largest territories.
  • Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has a landmass of 923,800 km², placing it 14th in size, much smaller than its population ranking.
  • The smallest among the top 20 listed is South Sudan, with 619,700 km², less than one-third the size of Algeria.

South Africa hosts 41,100 millionaires, nearly six times Nigeria’s 7,200 millionaires
  • South Africa dominates with 41,100 millionaires, accounting for more than 1 in 3 African millionaires, far ahead of any other nation.
  • Egypt (14,800) and Morocco (7,500) round out the top three, highlighting North Africa’s wealth concentration.
  • Nigeria (7,200) and Kenya (6,800) confirm West and East Africa’s growing wealth hubs, though still far below South Africa.
  • Mauritius (4,800) and Seychelles (500) rank surprisingly high relative to population size, showing their role as finance and wealth management hubs.

Mauritius leads Africa with 63% millionaire growth while Nigeria declines by 47% over the last decade
  • Mauritius is the fastest-growing hub with a 63% surge in millionaires, highlighting its rising financial services sector and favourable investment climate.
  • Rwanda (+48%) and Morocco (+40%) also show strong upward trends, driven by economic diversification and political stability.
  • Nigeria (-47%), Angola (-36%), and Algeria (-23%) recorded the steepest declines, reflecting oil dependence, currency challenges, and political instability.
  • Africa overall saw a -5% dip, showing that while select countries are thriving, the continent’s wealth distribution has shifted unevenly.

Only 18 African countries have satellites in space, with Egypt and South Africa accounting for nearly one-third of the continent’s total
  • Egypt and South Africa dominate Africa’s space presence, with 14 and 13 satellites respectively, accounting for nearly one-third of the continent’s total.
  • Nigeria (7), Algeria (6), and Morocco (5) form the next tier, highlighting North and West Africa as emerging hubs in satellite development.
  • The majority of other African countries with satellites, including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Djibouti and Angola, have two satellites each.
  • Out of 54 African nations, only 18 have any satellites in orbit, underscoring the vast disparity in space investment and technological capacity across the continent.

Egypt’s GDP per capita has more than doubled since 2000, but has fallen sharply since its 2022 peak
  • Egypt’s GDP per capita grew from $1,366 in 2000 to $3,339 in 2024, a 144% increase over 25 years.
  • The economy peaked at $4,233 in 2022, marking the highest point in the series before a two-year decline.
  • Sustained growth was driven by the 2000s and 2010s, with resilience after the 2008 financial crisis and Arab Spring disruptions.
  • The dip after 2022 reflects external pressures, currency adjustments, and inflationary challenges, though per capita levels remain well above early 2000s baselines.

Nigeria holds the top spot in Africa's women's basketball rankings with 640.1 points, and is ranked 8th globally
  • Nigeria’s D’Tigress leads Africa with 640.1 points, holding 8th place in the world rankings.
  • Mali sits in second with 343.7 points, more than 290 points behind Nigeria.
  • Senegal, Mozambique, and Cameroon complete Africa’s top five, all ranked within the global top 40.
  • South Sudan enters the continental top 10 at 10th, while ranking 55th globally.

Nigeria claims fifth straight FIBA Women’s AfroBasket title with a total of 7 titles, second to Senegal with 11 titles
  • Nigeria now has 7 AfroBasket titles, with five consecutive wins from 2017 to 2025.
  • Senegal leads the all-time chart with 11 titles, last winning in 2015.
  • Only three countries, Senegal, Nigeria, and Congo have more than two titles.
  • Nigeria is the only team to win five consecutive titles in a row.

Venezuela and Iran lead globally with ultra-cheap diesel under $0.01, as Libya tops Africa’s chart at $0.028
  • Venezuela and Iran offer diesel at nearly free prices, charging just $0.004 and $0.006 per litre respectively, the lowest globally.
  • Libya leads Africa with diesel priced at only $0.028 per litre, making it the third cheapest worldwide.
  • Six African countries—Libya, Algeria, Egypt, Angola, Nigeria and Sudan—feature in the global top 20 for the lowest diesel prices.
  • Nigeria ranks 17th globally, with diesel priced at $0.658 per litre, despite recent subsidy removals and price hikes.

Libya, Nigeria, and Algeria held more than 80% of Africa’s recoverable oil reserves in 2024
  • Libya leads Africa with 48.4 billion barrels of recoverable oil, the continent’s highest.
  • Nigeria ranks second with 37.3 billion barrels, accounting for about 27% of reserves among top holders.
  • Algeria holds 12.2 billion barrels, rounding out the top three and far ahead of other nations.
  • Sudan, Egypt, and Angola each contribute between 2.5 and 5 billion barrels, showing smaller but notable reserves.

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