From the financial hubs of Mauritius to the resource-rich republics of Libya, this investigation dives into what distinguishes these African countries in terms of wealth and economic stability.
When you think about Africa’s wealthiest countries, you most likely consider GDP per capita. This article ranks Africa’s top 10 richest countries by GDP per capita, as determined by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
However, if you’re looking for Nigeria’s GDP per capita or Kenya’s GDP per capita, this list may surprise you because the countries at the top are also among the continent’s smallest.
GDP, or gross domestic product, is a metric that represents the value of all products and services generated in a country. Dividing this output by the number of full-time residents in a country yields a more accurate estimate of how wealthy or impoverished a country’s general population is.
However, only by accounting for inflation rates and the cost of local products and services can we obtain a more realistic picture of a country’s typical level of living. Taking both factors into account, the resulting value is known as PPP, or purchasing power parity, and is frequently stated in dollars to allow for cross-country comparisons.
When going by GDP per capita According to PPP, the following ten African countries are the richest as of January 24, 2024:
| Rank | Global Rank | Country/Territory | GDP-PPP per capita ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 66 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | 29,349 |
| 2 | 75 | 🇱🇾 Libya | 24,382 |
| 3 | 89 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | 19,394 |
| 4 | 90 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | 19,165 |
| 5 | 94 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | 18,363 |
| 6 | 97 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | 17,123 |
| 7 | 100 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | 16,211 |
| 8 | 111 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | 13,682 |
| 9 | 113 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | 13,249 |
| 10 | 124 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | 10,408 |