The Atlantic Council think tank has just published its “2023 Freedom and Prosperity Indexes”, which measure the evolution of prosperity and freedom around the world, with the aim of demonstrating the correlation between these two indicators.
In terms of prosperity, while North Africa and South Africa once held the upper hand, today the African podium is occupied by Mauritius, Seychelles and Gabon, followed by Tunisia and Algeria. South Africa continues to decline and is only 9th.
Between 1995 and 2022, Sub-Saharan Africa’s progress was particularly marked in education, health and the environment.
Of the 6 countries whose prosperity has improved the most worldwide, 5 are in sub-Saharan Africa: Equatorial Guinea, Malawi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone and Rwanda. Only Cambodia managed to make it into the top five.
In terms of freedoms, the African countries judged to be the most advanced are Seychelles, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Namibia, Botswana and Ghana.
Over the period 1995 to 2022, sub-Saharan Africa shows the strongest progression in the world, even if economic freedoms have progressed more than political freedoms or the rule of law.
Finally, as regards the correlation between freedom and prosperity, it does not appear to be conclusive in Africa. Gabon ranks 3rd in terms of prosperity, but only 26th in terms of freedoms. Algeria, the 5th most prosperous country, is only 39th in terms of freedoms. In contrast, Lesotho, 47th in terms of prosperity, is one of the 10 freest African countries.
Ranking of African countries according to the Atlantic Council index (prospérité et libertés)
| Prosperity | Country | Freedom |
| 1 | Mauritius | 3 |
| 2 | Seychelles | 1 |
| 3 | Gabon | 26 |
| 4 | Tunisia | 19 |
| 5 | Algérie | 39 |
| 6 | Sao Tomé & Pr. | 8 |
| 7 | Cape Verde | 2 |
| 8 | Ghana | 6 |
| 9 | South Africa | 7 |
| 10 | Libye | 48 |
| 11 | Botswana | 5 |
| 12 | Egypte | 43 |
| 13 | Kenya | 14 |
| 14 | Guinée Equatoriale | 47 |
| 15 | Namibia | 4 |
| 16 | Cameroun | 41 |
| 17 | Morocco | 18 |
| 18 | Côte d’Ivoire | 24 |
| 19 | Sénégal | 13 |
| 20 | Congo | 45 |
| 21 | Gambia | 9 |
| 22 | Nigeria | 30 |
| 23 | Bénin | 21 |
| 24 | Malawi | 11 |
| 25 | Zambia | 12 |
| 26 | Liberia | 17 |
| 27 | Tanzania | 15 |
| 28 | Togo | 22 |
| 29 | Ethiopia | 37 |
| 30 | Zimbabwe | 31 |
| 31 | Djibouti | 36 |
| 32 | Angola | 34 |
| 33 | Guinée Bissau | 32 |
| 34 | Sierra Leone | 16 |
| 35 | Guinée | 42 |
| 36 | Soudan | 49 |
| 37 | Lesotho | 10 |
| 38 | Madagascar | 29 |
| 39 | Rwanda | 27 |
| 40 | Mauritania | 35 |
| 41 | Ouganda | 28 |
| 42 | Comores | 38 |
| 43 | RDC | 40 |
| 44 | Burundi | 44 |
| 45 | Mali | 33 |
| 56 | Erythrée | 51 |
| 47 | Niger | 20 |
| 48 | Burkina Faso | 23 |
| 49 | Tchad | 46 |
| 50 | Mozambique | 25 |
| 51 | Soudan du Sud | 50 |
NB : Sont absents de ce classement la Somalie, l’Eswatini et la RCA.
Founded in 1961 and based in Washington, D.C., the Atlantic Council is an American think tank specializing in international relations and reputedly close to the Democrats. It is funded by several governments, including the United States, Norway and the United Arab Emirates, as well as donors such as the Ukrainian World Congress, American philanthropist Adrienne Arsht and Lebanese billionaire Bahaa Hariri.
