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  • A Trend of Adult literacy rates of African countries

    Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.

    These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.

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    Inflation rate in Nigeria increased to 31.7% in February 2024. Nigeria has the 13th highest inflation rate out of 186 countries and territories as of February 2024.

    The data showcases Argentina leading with 276%, followed by Lebanon and Syria. Seven of the top fifteen are African.

    See more
  • A Trend of Adult literacy rates of African countries

    Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.

    These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.

    See more

    Inflation rate in Nigeria increased to 31.7% in February 2024. Nigeria has the 13th highest inflation rate out of 186 countries and territories as of February 2024.

    The data showcases Argentina leading with 276%, followed by Lebanon and Syria. Seven of the top fifteen are African.

    See more

  • Nigeria was the seventh most populous nation in the world in 2020, with 206.1 million people. Projected to reach a population of 401.3 million by 2050, Nigeria will rank third after India (1st) and China (2nd). According to Institut national d'études démographiques' projections, Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Egypt, Tanzania, and Kenya will be among the world’s top 20 most populous countries by 2050.

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    Top ten African countries by estimated number of films produced annually

    The Nigerian movie industry, mainly financed via public or private funding and international grants, produces the most films in Africa, yearly. Nigeria produced more than double the number of films that the Ghanaian and Kenyan movie industries produce annually.

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  • Only 10% of Nigerians earn above ₦100,000, according to the Nigerian Financial Services Market Report. This aligns with most reports about Nigeria, and it's in sharp contrast to the narratives online.
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  • Only 10% of Nigerians earn above ₦100,000, according to the Nigerian Financial Services Market Report. This aligns with most reports about Nigeria, and it's in sharp contrast to the narratives online.
    See more
  • A Trend of Adult literacy rates of African countries

    Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.

    These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.

    See more
Other Insights
 
  • Africa’s urban population has grown more than twelvefold, from 53 million in 1960 to nearly 700 million by 2025.
  • The share of Africans living in urban areas has risen from 18.7% in 1960 to 45% in 2025, and is projected to hit 57% by 2045.
  • Africa will reach a 50% urban population by 2035, where half of its population will reside in cities.
  • From 2000 to 2025, Africa’s urban population nearly tripled, highlighting the intensity of recent growth.
  • By 2045, 1.3 billion Africans will live in urban centres, making city development central to the continent’s progress.
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  • More than 60% of the countries in Africa are commodity-dependent.
  • South Sudan leads the list with 99.5%.
  • Nigeria’s commodity export dependence is 96.3%, dominated by energy (89.7%), followed by agriculture (4.0%) and mining (2.6%).
  • Africa alone accounts for nearly 47% of all commodity dependent countries globally.
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  • Of the 54 African countries, 46 earn more than 60% of export revenues from raw goods.
  • Algeria, Morocco, Eswatini, Lesotho, Djibouti, Mauritius, Comoros, and Egypt stand out with less than 60%.
  • Algeria and Morocco are the least dependent, pointing to stronger industrial and trade sectors.
  • Lower dependence means greater economic stability, while high reliance exposes countries to volatile global commodity markets.
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  • Africa has the youngest population globally, with a median age of 19.3 years.
  • Europe has the oldest population, with a median age of 42.8 years.
  • North America follows closely behind Europe, with a median age of 38.7 years.
  • Oceania’s median age stands at 33.4 years, slightly higher than Asia’s.
  • Asia’s population is relatively younger than Europe and North America, with a 32.5-year median age.
  • The age gap between Africa and Europe is over 23 years, showing the stark global demographic divide.
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  • Subscriptions peaked at 23.5 million in 2015 before a long decline.
  • The 2017 debt crisis and Etisalat UAE’s exit triggered sustained losses.
  • By mid-2025, active lines had plunged to 2.4 million, the steepest fall in the sector.
  • In August 2025, the firm rebranded as T2, unveiling a new plan to stabilise and grow again
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  • England tops the world women’s rugby ranking with 97.76 points, maintaining a clear lead over other nations.
  • Canada and New Zealand follow as the second and third-strongest women’s rugby teams globally.
  • South Africa ranks 12th and Kenya 20th, making them the only African nations in the global top 20.
  • Traditional rugby nations like France, Ireland, and Australia feature prominently in the top 10.
  • Asian teams such as Japan and Hong Kong highlight the growing spread of women’s rugby beyond traditional regions.
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  • South Africa leads the world rugby rankings with 92.78 points, ahead of New Zealand’s 92.06.
  • The gap between the first and second position is just 0.72 points, showing a close contest at the top.
  • Ireland remains the highest-ranked European team with 89.83 points.
  • France and England, with 87.82 and 87.64 points respectively, are in close competition for the fourth and fifth spots.
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  • Africa’s fertility rate in 2025 is estimated at 3.95, the highest in the world.
  • Europe’s fertility rate is the lowest in 2025 at just 1.41 children per woman.
  • Latin America and the Caribbean saw a steep drop from 5.83 in 1955 to 1.78 in 2025.
  • Asia’s fertility rate fell from 5.85 in 1955 to 1.87 in 2025.
  • Oceania’s fertility rate dropped from 6.58 in 1955 to 2.13 in 2025.
  • By 2025, all continents except Africa are at or below the replacement rate of 2.1.
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  • Gold bullion dominates exports, contributing ¢163.0B (55.3%) of total exports.

  • Petroleum oils follow distantly at ¢52.6B (17.8%).

  • Cocoa (beans, paste, butter) remains a vital sector, collectively worth ¢24.7B (8.4%).

  • Manganese, cashew, tuna, iron/steel, and shea oil are niche contributors, each under 2% of exports.

  • All other products still make up a significant 14.4% (¢42.4B), showing potential for export diversification.
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  • Petrol prices in Nigeria rose by 52% between August 2024 (₦830.5) and March 2025 (₦1,261.7).
  • The highest monthly increase was in September 2024 (+24.1%), while the sharpest drop came in April 2025 (-17.1%).
  • By July 2025, prices had eased to ₦1,025, still 23% higher than a year earlier.
  • NNPC retail outlets offered significantly lower prices than the national average, with Abuja as low as ₦880 at the March 2025 peak.
  • Dangote Refinery offered relatively competitive pricing, ranging from ₦840 to ₦899, creating an alternative supply option.
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  • France tops the world with 13 time zones, owing largely to its overseas territories spread across the globe.
  • The US and Russia follow closely, each spanning 11 time zones, reflecting their massive geographic spread.
  • In contrast, Africa remains highly unified, with just two countries, DR Congo and South Africa, operating two time zones each.
  • Most nations on the list, including Brazil, Mexico, and Spain, fall between 2–4 zones, underscoring how rare double-digit time zone coverage is.
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  • South Africa’s GDP per capita rose from $440 in 2000 to an all-time high of $2,692 in 2024.
  • Growth was relatively steady in the 2000s, with notable jumps after 2006 and again in the post-pandemic years.
  • Despite dips in 2008 (global financial crisis) and 2020 (COVID-19 shock), the economy showed resilience with quick rebounds.
  • By 2024, South Africa achieved its strongest per capita GDP on record, cementing its role as one of Africa’s leading middle-income economies.
  • The country recorded growth in 21 of the past 24 years.
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  • Egypt remained the lead African country with the highest number of international scholars in the US, with 942 recorded in the 2023/2024 academic session.
  • As of the 2023/2024 academic session, 4,679 international scholars in the United States of America are from Africa.
  • A total of 931 international scholars in the US as of the same session are from Nigeria.
  • Africa produced 4.2% of the international scholars in the US for the session under review.
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  • Nigeria has been the second leading source of African scholars in the US since 2008/09 to 2023/24, after overtaking South Africa.
  • By the 2023/24 academic session, the number of Nigerian scholars in the US reached 931.
  • Given past trends, it’s not unrealistic to predict that Nigeria could surpass Egypt in the near future, just as it did South Africa.
  • Approximately 20% of the African scholars in the US are Nigerians.
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  • Only 37 countries produced bio-diesel in 2023.
  • No African country produced bio-diesel.
  • The US remained the dominant producer of bio-diesel with 15.25 million metric tons produced in 2023, which is 36% of the total quantity produced globally.
  • Germany was the top exporter of bio diesel with 2.18 million metric tons.
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  • Nigeria leads Africa with 238 million people in July 2025.
  • Namibia, though the second largest in the South, has only 3 million people.
  • In Eastern Africa, Ethiopia (135M) and Tanzania (71M) dominate.
  • Egypt (118M) and Sudan (52M) are Northern Africa’s population leaders.
  • South Africa (65M) is Southern Africa’s most populous country, far ahead of Namibia.
  • In West Africa, Nigeria (238M) and Ghana (35M) are the most populous, showing a wide gap within the region.
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  • Africa’s pig herd expanded nearly nine-fold, from 8.4 million in 1961 to 48.9 million in 2023.
  • Despite this growth, Africa accounts for only 5.1% of the world’s pigs in 2023.
  • South Africa led pig production for decades until the late 1980s, when Nigeria overtook and has remained the top producer since.
  • Malawi and Uganda emerged as major players in the 2000s–2010s, now ranking among the top three producers.
  • Nigeria, Malawi, and Uganda together hold nearly 50% of Africa’s total herd.
  • Africa’s pig farming is shifting from being dominated by one or two players to a more regionally balanced mix.
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  • Gabon (84%) is Africa’s most urbanised country, while Burundi (15%) is the least.
  • Five of the top 10 urbanised African countries have an urban share above 75%.
  • Small island nations like Cabo Verde (79%) and Sao Tome & Principe (78%) rank highly, reflecting their concentrated settlements.
  • Resource-rich countries like Libya (78%), Botswana (76%), and Algeria (74%) show strong urbanisation patterns.
  • Ethiopia (23%) and Uganda (30%) highlight the urbanisation gap among high-population countries.
  • Nigeria sits at 55%, ranked 19th, reflecting moderate urbanisation compared to other African giants.
  • Most of the bottom 10 countries, such as Malawi (20%), Niger (18%), and Rwanda (18%), are still heavily rural, signalling slower urban development.
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