Which are the Best Countries in Africa?

Africa is a huge continent with over 50 independent states, making up 23% of the Earth's land. There are large differences, both economic and social, between its various regions and high birth rates contribute heavily to its problems. Its economy is expected to quadruple over the next 30 years₁, but, it is highly susceptible to climate change; the effects are already impacting the continent in serious ways₂.

There are 61 locations that fall within this category. By adding up all the known populations that fall within these locations, and summing their physical land areas, we can calculate population densities. Some islands and territories can end up being counted twice depending on how they are classified and divided up politically, but, mostly such errors involve only small populations. So, some data on this collection of countries in total:

• Population: 1.3b
• Land Area: 29 378 401km² (23% of Earth's land)
• Independent States: 54
• Other Territories: 7
• Compare to other regions of the world

1. Basic Stats and Demographics
2. Emigration and Immigration
3. Social and Moral Development
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Health
6. Modernity and Learning
7. National Culture
8. Peace Versus Instability
9. The Natural Environment
10. Economic Inequality and Poverty
11. Demographics
12. Religion and Beliefs
    1. The Rise of Christianity in Africa
13. The Economy and Inequality
14. Links

1. Basic Stats and Demographics

#economics #human_development #population

Not showing due to lack of data: Somaliland. This page only shows places where the database has enough data to be able to come to reasonable conclusions about each place. The main focus is on nation states, but, some distinct external territories may be listed if the database has enough information about them. Averages are calculated from as many valid data points as possible, meaning, that some territories and locations that are not listed above may still be used to calculate some of the average values. Some calculations only use Independent State data - hover the cursor over values to see hints.

Links:

• Compare to other regions of the world
• What is the Best Country in the World? An Index of Morality, Conscience and Good Life
• The Population of the Earth
• Homosexuality in Animals and Humans

2. Emigration and Immigration

#africa #emigration #immigration #migration

In 2015, an estimated 30 million Africans lived outside Africa₁₁; their work abroad allows them to send home money to support their families₁₁. This simple economic gesture is powerful enough to slow migration, reduce poverty and prevent some crime throughout the poorest parts of Africa. Internal migration is much greater: The countries in Africa with the highest percent of immigrants in their populations are Equatorial Guinea (17.5%), Gabon (13.8%) and Seychelles (13.6%), although the average for Africa is 4%. And emigration: Cape Verde (37.6%), Sao Tome & Principe (21.9%) and Lesotho (20.5%), with a continental average of 6% who have crossed a national border to live elsewhere.

For full stats and comparisons, see: Which Country in Africa Has the Most Immigrants Or Emigrants?.

3. Social and Moral Development

#education #equality #health #human_development #human_rights #modernity #morals #politics #prejudice #technology #the_internet #tolerance

Here are each country's overall scores across the categories that make up the Social and Moral Development Index. This is followed by lists of how each country scores in each individual data set.

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#Africa #human_rights #ICC

Human Rights struggle in much of Africa. The best countries in Africa at protecting human rights, engendering tolerance and supporting equality, are S. Africa, Seychelles and Mauritius and the continent as a whole does better than the global average. The worst countries are Somalia, Sao Tome & Principe and Djibouti. Things are getting better. There is a rising expectation amongst Africans that governance must be fairer and less corrupt although this will cause more conflict for at least a generation₁₇. In the last decade, a series of murderous dictators have been brought to justice₁₈, and the developing courts of Africa have found themselves empowered to seek out human rights abusers at the highest levels. Although many countries are steeped in conflict, a message is being sent that war crimes and abusers cannot operate with immunity. When multiple rulers threatened to cease support for the International Criminal Court, an "an outpouring of popular support... helped to persuade most African governments to continue to stand behind the court₁₉". In sub-Saharan Africa, a decrease in violence and increase in the rule of law and protections of human rights have led to a steady increase in peaceability since 2007₂₀.

For full commentary and data, See:

• Human Rights, Freedom, Tolerance and Equality in Africa: Statistical Comparisons

5. Health

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #suicide #vaccines

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Hong Kong, Singapore and The Maldives₁₄. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Nigeria and Equatorial Guinea₁₄.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Asia and Europe₁₄, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Polynesia₁₄.

Health:

Children's Health:

6. Modernity and Learning

#education #english #intelligence #it_security #maths #politics #religion #research #science #the_internet

Modernity and Education:

Technology and Information:

7. National Culture

#charity #corruption #happiness #morals #politics

8. Peace Versus Instability

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Even though Africa has some of the most violent countries, "sub-Saharan Africa's levels of peacefulness have increased steadily since 2007" (GPI 2012).

9. The Natural Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #over-exploitation #the_environment

“The effect of climate change on Africa's environment and resources is likely to pose a huge challenge out to 2045, impacting on issues such as water and food availability, migration and energy. Effects will vary according to region. [...] Extreme weather events, such as increases in the duration of dry spells, or changes in the intensity of rainfall, has already been observed across the continent. However, out to 2045 many countries will see increasingly intense, severe and frequent droughts and floods, higher maximum temperatures, and increasingly intense storms - all of which are likely to have a major effect on agricultural production. [...] Mozambique, Tanzania and Madagascar have been identified as particularly vulnerable to tropical storms in the future.”

"Africa Out to 2045" by DCDC (2016)₂

10. Economic Inequality and Poverty

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

11. Demographics

#birth_control #demographics #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population

Population:

Migration:

12. Religion and Beliefs

#belief #buddhism #christianity #folk_religion #god #hinduism #human_development #islam #judaism #no_religion #religion

“The vast majority of North Africa is Muslim, whilst sub-Saharan African is split between Islam in the North and Christianity in the south, but with considerable overlap. Christianity is likely to remain the majority religion on the continent out to 2045, but the proportion of the population who are Muslim will increase (mainly due to higher fertility rates). Indigenous beliefs are also practised in many parts of Africa, and in many cases have become entwined with Christianity and Islam”

"Africa Out to 2045" by DCDC (2016)₆₂

Wars Between Believers: Africa has sufferred from a long history of religious conflict, not only between Christians and Muslims, but between both of those new faiths and traditional culture, and internal battles between different denominations.

"Chad has experienced some tensions between fundamentalist and moderate Muslims, Guinea has strong social pressure discouraging conversion from Islam, Mali experienced violence in 2003 between traditional Sunni practitioners and Wahhabi Sunnis, and Niger similarly saw mainstream Sunni youths demonstrating against the Wahhabist Izalay sect.₆₃ [...] The most lethal religion-related armed conflict in recent decades occurred during the Sudanese civil war, which resulted in more than six million people being killed or displaced between 1989 and 2005. Religion played a central role in splitting the country into warring sides, primarily pitting government forces from the Muslim-majority north against an array of opposition forces from the south, which is largely Christian"₆₄. Although, because of the prevalence of Sufi Islam (a kinder branch of Islam), sub-Saharan Africa does better.

Africa is seeing the growth of less tolerant religion in the form of Salafism and evangelical Pentecostalism, both of which use their influence to encourage conflict between communities. The UK Ministry of Defence's strategic analysis is that religion-inspired conflicts will increase.₆₅

Some in the West argue against non-believers, stating that religion is required for morals. Guy Harrison uses Africa as an example of how religion fosters war.

“There are very few atheists in sub-Saharan Africa yet that region is plagued with numerous wars decade after decade. Who can be blamed but believers?”

"50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God" by Guy Harrison (2008)₆₆

Links:

• Compare to other regions of the world
• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Religions

Some notes from John R. Hinnells:

“There are as many African religions as peoples or 'tribes', that is, many hundreds. [...] African religions belonged to pre-literate societies. This has affected ... our knowledge. [...] Non-literate religions change at least as much as literate ones, but changes go unrecorded, hence the mistaken view that African religions are unchanging. Their historical developments may be partially plotted through analysis of layers within current ritual an myth [and] historical documentation. [...] There has been some sharp reaction against [Christian texts on African religion that make a monotheistic God central to African beliefs]. There are certainly some peoples with either no conception of a supreme God or one so limited as to be effectively otiose (Achloli, Lango, Lovedu, Nyakyusa, Swazi, Zande; Jok). These are significant exceptions. [...] More characteristic is a pattern of intermediaries - ancestors or nature gods - to which most ritual and prayer are immediately directed.”

"The Penguin Dictionary of Religions" by John R. Hinnells (1997)₇₀

Ancestor Worship:.

“In most although not all African religions (among exceptions are the Masai, Nuer, and Tiv) ancestors play a major role. [... They] are seen as elders, named and approached in much the same way as the most senior of living elders; yet they have additional mystical powers. [...] In more God-conscious societies ancestors may be approached simply as intermediaries to God, but where ritual, petition and sacrifice are regularly directed to ancestral spirits with little or no reference to God, it seems linguistically perverse to deny that this is worship - a word itself admitting a range of meaning. [...] In some west African societies (for example, Benin and the Ibo) ancestor veneration is combined with belief in their reincarnation in descendants.”

"The Penguin Dictionary of Religions" by John R. Hinnells (1997)₇₁

12.1. The Rise of Christianity in Africa₇₂

#christianity #islam #kenya #malawi #nigeria #zambia

“According to religion demographers David Barett and Todd Johnson, Christians numbered 10 million in 1900 and 30 million in 1945, but then jumped to 144 million by 1970 and further to 411 million by 2005. Africa's most dramatic Christian growth, in other words, occurred after decolonization. [...] The most important driver and beneficiary of Protestantism's demographic expansion across the global South has clearly been evangelicalism - particularly, in recent years, in its Pentecostal expressions.”

Timothy Samuel Shah (2008)₇₃ p. x.

Much of this rise has not been in the spirit of a healthy competition of ideas, wherein the religion that best makes sense grows in numbers. Organized and wealthy Christian evangelists have used their power and resources to systematically undermine and diminish African religion. Anthropologist Terence O. Ranger writes that "evangelicals of all kinds 'demonize' African religion and seek to expel it both from the private and the public sphere"₇₄, and quotes Mutna (1999):

“The modern African state, right from its inception, has relentlessly engaged in a campaign of the marginalization, at best, or eradication, at worst, of African religion... The destruction and delegitimation of African religion have been actively effected at the urging or with the collusion and for the benefit of, either or both Islam and Christianity... [T]he conscious, willful and planned displacement of African religion goes beyond and legitimate bounds of religious advocacy and violates the human rights of Africans:... it is in fact a repudiation... of the humanity of African culture.”

Mutna (1999), 170.

With wealth comes power and influence, over both religion and government. In several countries "freedom of religion" has been enshrined into law, not to protect African religion, but to ensure the easy spread of evangelical churches - and Muslim outreach churches do exactly the same in countries where they have a foothold. "Mutua, an academic lawyer, shows that the constitutions of independent African states - Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, Congo, etc. - guarantee 'liberal generic protection of religious freedoms.' But these are defined in such a way that they refer exclusively to Islam and Christianity"₇₄.

As such, Timothy S. Shah, senior research scholar at the Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs at Boston University, warns about "numerous instances" of Christian communities supporting any party, no matter how vile if it happens to further the interests of their own community.

“It is also true that the contributors document numerous instances in which evangelical leaders and their constituencies have been all too willing to offer their fervent prayers and praise for dictators they deem 'godly' - a designation dictators usually earn by their adoption of biblical rhetoric and sponsorship of religious functions, particularly the ubiquitous evangelical crusade. In so doing, some evangelicals reproduce and indeed reinforce the corrupt clientelist politics rife in the region.”

Timothy Samuel Shah (2008)₇₃ p. xii-xiii.

13. The Economy and Inequality₇₅

High birth rates are contributing heavily to Africa's problems; the population of some of the poorest countries is set to triple by 2045₇₆.

“Whilst the African economy is expected to grow out to 2045, wealth will continue to be unevenly distributed and millions are likely to remain in extreme poverty; in some countries the proportion could even increase. Although the proportion of the population living in absolute poverty has declined from around 57% in 1990 to 43% in 2012, rapid population growth means that the number of people still living in absolute poverty has increased.”

"Africa Out to 2045" by DCDC (2016)₇₇