Shocking Numbers from Africa
This is data is taken from the 2022 Ibrahim Index of African Governance–the most thorough, intensive research report I’ve seen on the continent. I’m in the process of breaking down some important results (by overall governance trends and then it’s individual categories) that I strongly encourage you to check out by subscribing.
During this analysis, I’ve come across some jaw-dropping numbers that are throughout the whole lengthy report. There are a plethora of problems on the continent that are nearly incalculable yet this data acts as a great exemplar.
- Just measuring between March to December 2020, almost ALL of the countries in Africa had a poor track record of violation of democratic standards with respect to Covid-19 measures. [I’m writing separately how Mauritius (a beautiful country in the Indian ocean who are nearly comically doing all the wrong things) was amazingly dystopian, totalitarian and imprudent during this time, but they were not the only ones]. TEN other countries were deemed to have ‘Major’ violations of democratic principles. Twenty NINE saw ‘Some’ violations and FOUR saw ‘Minor’ violations. The remainder went unanswered but one, Only ONE had no violations of their democratic standards. Botswana. Bravo Botswana.
- The Sahara Desert and the size of the USA; are about the same size.
- Almost 90% of Africa live in better Foundations for Economic Opportunity (according to the measures found within) in 2021 compared to 2011. Perhaps this is good if you wanted to invest in resources on the continent but one has to keep in mind this is a relative figure. Eritrea is not Estonia.
- ONLY 5 African countries (of 54) primarily export their products to other African countries. One of these, is Lesotho, a completely landlocked country inside of South Africa which has no other choice. The remaining are Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe (three countries across in the South) and Mali–one who just had a number of coups lately. Wealth doesn’t reside on the continent, it is elsewhere and the ownership of the products on the continent are not owned by domestic companies, so they are naturally shipped offshore. This is nothing new for the continent, but it’s evidence that even if you up the foreign aid, foreign investment or companies moving there the net result is not felt in Africa.
- A staggering 60% of the people in Africa are considered “Food Insecure”. Wow 60% sounds like a lot–how many people is that. Mas o Menos it is 876,289,063 people. That’s about 100 million MORE than the population of Europe. The IIAG Food Security indicator has declined nearly 13X faster in the last 5 years compared to the prior decade. The lowest scores ever recorded were in 2020 and 2021. Looking at the entire continent, 20.2% are considered UNDERNOURISHED. Bad time for Ukraine to be at war if you’re Egyptian.
- Nigeria alone refines 1 barrel of oil for every 4,132 barrels refined in Europe BUT Nigeria holds double the crude oil reserves relative to the entire continent of Europe (Nigeria has the 11th largest reserves in world).
- Asia represents 42% of Africa’s imports and 45% of their exports–far outpacing Europe’s influence.
- Between 2010 to 2021 external debt servicing payments in Africa have more than quadrupled; this pace of debt growth is 60x larger than the pace of average fiscal revenues. It’s obviously unsustainable.
- Since 2000, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has issued 5000 grants amounting to 8 billion dollars just to Africa and signed up for 7 billion more from 2022-2026. All of it to go to “global health”. Anyone check on how that “help” is going?
- Approximately 70,000 skilled professionals emigrate from Africa every year. These individuals, while account for only 0.005% of the population, are likely the most capable, intelligent and motivated; the type of person the local countries need for building. As of 2022, HALF of youth aged 18 to 24 are considered leaving if nothing changes for the positive in their home country. Also as of 2022, 40% of Africans were 15 & younger. If the sentiment remains, that’s a lot of young men and women looking to leave.
- Illiteracy rates are 40% throughout the continent. Areas with illiteracy rates above 50% include The Gambia, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, Niger, Senegal, Benin, Sierra Leone and Chad bringing up the continental average. Youth illiteracy (in 2017) was 70% in Sub-Saharan Afric.
- An extremely unreported figure that deserves the most attention: Over 5 million people died in the second Congo War. The war began in the summer of 1998, one year following the First Congo War and is the second most deadly conflicts on record. Political and military tensions between Rwanda and what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo spiralled out of control engulfing 7 other countries and over 5 million dead.
- According to current trends, by 2100 Africans will make up 38% of the world’s population (currently 18%). Africa’s population will be the main driver of global population growth in the decades to come.
I hope you learned some of these crazy numbers and it allowed you to put some things into perspective. There are a lot of talking points that I believe can be derived from this.
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There are significant problems in Africa, so much so it will have long lasting impacts for other continents. I’ve decided to rap it up on 13 facts, but I’m going to write another Shocking Facts of Africa post soon, there’s just too many of them!
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