Burundi and Mozambique consistently rank lowest in African worker productivity since 1991

  • The same countries—Burundi, Malawi, DR Congo, Mozambique, Niger, Liberia, Madagascar, Central African Republic, Chad, and Ethiopia—consistently occupy the bottom ranks over the years.
  • These countries remain far below the continent's average, often with GDP per person employed under $5,000 even in recent years.
  • Progress is marginal: while some, like Ethiopia and Mozambique, show slow growth, many fluctuate or even regress across periods.
  • Structural economic weaknesses, conflict, and low industrialisation seem to persist across the bottom group.

The bottom 10 African countries by GDP per person employed have demonstrated a persistent pattern of economic underperformance in 33 years since 1991.

Countries like Burundi, Malawi, and DR Congo have remained at the lowest end of the scale for over three decades, rarely crossing the $3,000 mark in GDP per person employed. While nations such as Ethiopia and Mozambique show incremental improvement—climbing from near or below $2,000 in the 1990s to the $4,000–$6,000 range recently—the overall trajectory across this group reflects chronic economic stagnation.

Source:

World Bank - World Development Indicators

Period:

1991-2023
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Three African countries have a debt-to-GDP ratio above 100%, with Sudan at 238.8%
  • Sudan’s debt-to-GDP ratio of 238.8% is the highest in Africa and over twice the size of its economy.
  • Three African countries—Sudan, Cabo Verde, and Zambia—have debt burdens exceeding 100% of their GDP.
  • Egypt, Mozambique, and the Congo Republic follow closely with ratios above 88% each, despite efforts at economic reform.
  • Ghana and Sierra Leone are also in the top 10, showing that West Africa isn’t exempt from debt pressure.
  • Nigeria, while not in the top 10, has a debt-to-GDP ratio of 41.3% and ranks 43rd in Africa.
  • A high debt-to-GDP ratio often limits a country’s ability to invest in growth-driving sectors, even if the economy is growing nominally.
DR Congo has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in Africa (11.1%), significantly below the 63.2% average
  • DR Congo has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in Africa, at just 11.1%.
  • Africa’s average debt-to-GDP ratio stands at 63.2%, meaning most countries on the bottom 10 list are performing better than the continental average.
  • Nigeria, despite its size and challenges, still maintains a relatively moderate debt load of 41.3%.
  • Botswana’s debt ratio of 18.1% places it among Africa’s most fiscally conservative economies.
  • Ethiopia and Guinea, both undergoing major economic transitions, still keep debt levels below 32%.
  • The presence of both low-income and resource-rich countries on the list shows that low debt isn’t exclusive to one economic model.
Nigeria’s GDP per capita dropped $710 below Sub-Saharan Africa’s average in 2024, its widest gap in 25 years
  • Nigeria’s GDP per capita stayed above the Sub-Saharan African average from 2002 to 2023.
  • In 2014, Nigeria peaked at $3,088.7, far ahead of the region’s $1,886.5.
  • The post-2014 oil crash triggered a prolonged economic slide for Nigeria.
  • By 2023, Nigeria ($1,596.6) and Sub-Saharan Africa ($1,580.8) were nearly identical.
  • In 2024, Nigeria fell sharply to $806.9, $710 below the regional average of $1,516.4, its widest gap in over two decades.
Ghana’s GDP per capita has grown nearly tenfold since 2000, despite years of economic volatility
  • Between 2000 and 2008, Ghana’s GDP per capita rose from $253.7 to $1,182.7, more than quadrupling in just nine years.
  • It peaked in 2013 at $2,294.8 but declined sharply after 2014.
  • After a dip in 2022, it rebounded to $2,405.8 in 2024, nearly 10 times higher than the figure in 2000.
  • The declines seen in 2009, 2015, and 2022 mirror global and local crises, including the 2008 financial crash, commodity shocks, and post-COVID disruptions.
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