Rwanda is performing relatively well in terms of governance and rule of law, leading sub-Saharan Africa for the third consecutive year with a score of 0.63 in the 2024 Rule of Law Index. Namibia (0.61) and Mauritius (0.60) closely follow, showcasing relatively stronger legal frameworks.
At the lower end, Nigeria, Congo, and Gabon score 0.40, highlighting persistent governance challenges.
Globally, Denmark tops the list of 142 countries, with a score of 0.90, while Venezuela ranks last at 0.26, emphasising the gap between SSA's highest performers and global leaders. This mix of progress and struggles illustrates the varied state of governance across the region.
Since the 2007/08 academic year, Nigeria has consistently held the top spot for the number of African international students in the US. Before this, Kenya and Egypt also led in certain periods.
This trend highlights the evolving landscape of African students pursuing education in the US over the decades.
Nigeria remains the leading African country of origin for students in the US, with over 20,000 enrolled this year.
Ghana, however, recorded the continent's fastest growth rate at 45%. This increase of over 2,900 students brought Ghana’s total to nearly 9,400, making it the second-largest source of African students in the US.
Nigeria also saw a 13.5% rise, adding more than 2,380 students year-over-year.
Overall, the number of students from African countries in the US grew by nearly 12% in the 2023/24 academic year.
Until 1976, Ghana was the world’s largest cocoa producer, with an average annual output of 410,000 tonnes. However, Ghana lost this lead when production fell to 277,000 tonnes in 1997, allowing Côte d'Ivoire and Brazil to overtake.
Since 1977, Côte d'Ivoire has led global cocoa production, increasing its output by 634%.
Nigeria’s cocoa production peaked at 485,000 tonnes in 2006, consistently ranking among the top ten producers.
Madagascar, Burundi, and Mozambique lead Africa in female workforce participation, with rates above the global average of 48%.
The 2024 estimate ranks Nigeria 30th in Africa, with a female labour force participation rate of 52%.
From 1961 to 2022, Nigeria, Egypt, and Madagascar led Africa in rice production, supporting local economies and food security.
Nigeria peaked in 2017 with over 10 million tonnes, while Egypt and Madagascar also recorded strong years.
Since 2014, Nigeria has held the title of Africa's largest rice producer.
As of 2022, the top five African countries indebted to the World Bank — Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania — accounted for 46% of the continent's outstanding debt with the institution.
Forty-eight African countries collectively owed around $125 billion, representing 31% of the total global debt of $408 billion. These are the top ten countries from 1970 to 2022.
In 2023, Egypt, South Africa, Algeria, and Morocco dominated Africa's steel industry, accounting for 88% of the continent's production.
Egypt led the charge, contributing 43% of Africa's total steel output. Despite this, Africa's 23.92 million tonnes only make up 1.26% of global production.
Over the past six decades, African economies have experienced both rapid growth and severe contractions.
Nigeria and South Africa, often considered the continent’s economic heavyweights, have consistently ranked among Africa's top three economies since 1960.
North African Libya, Algeria and Egypt have also been in the top three in the period.
As of 2023, Egypt led the continent's GDP rankings.
According to 2022 and 2023 data for 40 African countries, Egypt leads in the value of manufacturing output reaching $59.6 billion in 2023 despite a 21% drop from 2022.
Nigeria follows with $55.7 billion, while South Africa comes third with $48.8 billion.
