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List of African countries by Human Development Index

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The Human Development Index (HDI) is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, knowledge, and a decent standard of living. It is a standard means of measuring well-being. It is used to distinguish whether the country is a developed, developing, or underdeveloped country, and also to measure the impact of economic policies on quality of life. Countries fall into four broad categories based on their HDI: very high, high, medium, and low human development. Currently, Seychelles and Mauritius are the only African countries that fall into the very high human development category. South Sudan has the lowest HDI in both Africa and the world according to the list.

List

[[File:African countries by HDI (2019).png|thumb|400x400px|African countries by Human Development Index (2020 report, showing 2019 data)

border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" style="width:100%;"
valign="top"|{{Legend|#003C00|≥ 0.900}}

{{Legend|#007F00|0.850–0.899}}

{{Legend|#00C400|0.800–0.849}}

{{Legend|#00F900|0.750–0.799}}

{{Legend|#D3FF00|0.700–0.749}}

|valign="top"|

{{Legend|#FFFF00|0.650–0.699}}

{{Legend|#FFD215|0.600–0.649}}

{{Legend|#FFA83C|0.550–0.599}}

{{Legend|#FF852F|0.500–0.549}}

|valign="top"|

{{Legend|#FF5B00|0.450–0.499}}

{{Legend|#FF0000|0.400–0.449}}

{{Legend|#A70000|≤ 0.399}}

{{Legend|#D9D9D9|Data unavailable}}

]]

The table below presents the latest Human Development Index (HDI) for countries in Africa as included in the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report, released on 5 May 2025 and based on data collected in 2023.

{{cite book |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdf |title=HUMAN DEVELOPMENT REPORT 2023-24: Breaking the gridlock: Reimagining cooperation in a polarized world |date=13 March 2024 |via=hdr.undp.org |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |isbn= |pages=287 - 292 |access-date=15 March 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240313211659/https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2023-24reporten.pdfments/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf |archive-date=13 March 2024 |url-status=live}}

As of 2025, all African UN member states are included in the report. Several dependent territories administered by non-African states are not ranked as they are not included in the latest report. Additionally, the borders and autonomy of Western Sahara are contested {{Cite web |title=Western Sahara {{!}} The United Nations and Decolonization |url=https://www.un.org/dppa/decolonization/en/nsgt/western-sahara |access-date=2024-01-23 |website=www.un.org}} so an accurate HDI cannot be determined.

class="wikitable sortable"

! colspan="5" |List of African countries by Human Development Index

colspan="2" |Rank

! rowspan="2" |Country

! colspan="2" |Human Development Index (HDI)

Region

! World

! 2023 data (2025 report){{Zero width space}}

! Change in HDI value 2024-2025

{{cite book |title=Human Development Report 2021-22: Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World |date=8 September 2022 |publisher=United Nations Development Programme |isbn=978-9-211-26451-7 |pages=277–280 |via=hdr.undp.org |url=https://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf |access-date=8 September 2022 |archive-date=8 September 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220908114232/http://hdr.undp.org/system/files/documents/global-report-document/hdr2021-22pdf_1.pdf |url-status=live }}

colspan="5" style="color:#090;" |Very High Human Development
1

|54

|{{flag|Seychelles}}

|0.848

|{{increase}} 0.046

2

|73

|{{flag|Mauritius}}

|0.806

|{{Increase}} 0.010

colspan="5" style="color:#0c0;" |High Human Development
3

|96

|{{flag|Algeria}}

|0.763

|{{Increase}} 0.018

4

|100

|{{flag|Egypt}}

|0.754

|{{increase}} 0.026

5

|105

|{{flag|Tunisia}}

|0.746

|{{increase}} 0.014

6

|106

|{{flag|South Africa}}

|0.741

|{{increase}} 0.024

7

|108

|{{flag|Gabon}}

|0.733

|{{increase}} 0.040

8

|111

|{{flag|Botswana}}

|0.731

|{{increase}} 0.024

9

|115

|{{flag|Libya}}

|0.721

|{{decrease}} 0.025

10

|120

|{{flag|Morocco}}

|0.710

|{{increase}} 0.012

colspan="5" style="color:#fc0;" |Medium Human Development
11

|126

|{{flag|Eswatini}}

|0.695

|{{increase}} 0.085

12

|133

|{{flag|Equatorial Guinea}}

|0.674

|{{increase}} 0.024

13

|135

|{{flag|Cape Verde}}

|0.668

|{{increase}} 0.007

14

|136

|{{flag|Namibia}}

|0.665

|{{increase}} 0.055

15

|138

|{{flag|Republic of the Congo}}

|0.649

|{{increase}} 0.056

16

|141

|{{flag|São Tomé and Príncipe}}

|0.637

|{{increase}} 0.024

rowspan="2" |17

|rowspan="2" |143

|{{flag|Ghana}}

|rowspan="2" |0.628

|{{increase}} 0.026

{{flag|Kenya}}

|{{increase}} 0.027

19

|148

|{{flag|Angola}}

|0.616

|{{increase}} 0.025

20

|150

|{{flag|Comoros}}

|0.603

|{{increase}} 0.017

21

|153

|{{flag|Zimbabwe}}

|0.598

|{{increase}} 0.048

22

|154

|{{flag|Zambia}}

|0.595

|{{increase}} 0.026

23

|155

|{{flag|Cameroon}}

|0.588

|{{increase}} 0.001

rowspan="2" |24

| rowspan="2" |157

|{{flag|Ivory Coast}}

| rowspan="2" |0.582

|{{increase}} 0.048

{{flag|Uganda}}

|{{increase}} 0.032

26

|159

|{{flag|Rwanda}}

|0.578

|{{increase}} 0.030

27

|161

|{{flag|Togo}}

|0.571

|{{increase}} 0.024

28

|163

|{{flag|Mauritania}}

|0.563

|{{increase}} 0.029

29

|166

|{{flag|Nigeria}}

|0.560

|{{increase}} 0.012

30

|165

|{{flag|Tanzania}}

|0.555

|{{increase}} 0.023

31

|167

|{{flag|Lesotho}}

|0.550

|{{increase}} 0.029

colspan="5" style="color:#900;" |Low Human Development
32

|169

|{{flag|Senegal}}

|0.530

|{{increase}} 0.013

33

|170

|{{flag|Gambia}}

|0.524

|{{increase}} 0.029

34

|171

|{{flag|Democratic Republic of the Congo}}

|0.522

|{{increase}} 0.048

35

|172

|{{flag|Malawi}}

|0.517

|{{increase}} 0.011

36

|173

|{{flag|Benin}}

|0.515

|{{increase}} 0.011

37

|174

|{{flag|Guinea-Bissau}}

|0.514

|{{increase}} 0.031

38

|175

|{{flag|Djibouti}}

|0.513

|{{decrease}} 0.002

39

|176

|{{flag|Sudan}}

|0.511

|{{decrease}} 0.005

40

|177

|{{flag|Liberia}}

|0.510

|{{increase}} 0.023

41

|178

|{{flag|Eritrea}}

|0.503

|{{increase}} 0.010

42

|179

|{{flag|Guinea}}

|0.500

|{{increase}} 0.028

43

|180

|{{flag|Ethiopia}}

|0.497

|{{increase}} 0.005

44

|182

|{{flag|Mozambique}}

|0.493

|{{increase}} 0.032

45

|183

|{{flag|Madagascar}}

|0.487

|{{steady}}

46

|185

|{{flag|Sierra Leone}}

|0.467

|{{increase}} 0.009

47

|186

|{{flag|Burkina Faso}}

|0.459

|{{increase}} 0.021

48

|187

|{{flag|Burundi}}

|0.439

|{{increase}} 0.019

rowspan="2" |49

| rowspan="2" |188

|{{flag|Mali}}

| rowspan="2" |0.419

|{{increase}} 0.009

{{flag|Niger}}

|{{increase}} 0.005

51

|190

|{{flag|Chad}}

|0.416

|{{increase}} 0.022

52

|191

|{{flag|Central African Republic}}

|0.414

|{{increase}} 0.027

53

|192

|{{flag|Somalia}}

|0.404

|{{increase}} 0.024

54

|193

|{{flag|South Sudan}}

|0.388

|{{increase}} 0.007

Notes

:1.{{note|a}}Data for Somalia only dates back to 2022.

See also

References

{{Africa topics}}

{{Deprivation Indicators}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:List Of African Countries By Human Development Index}}

Human Development Index

Human Development Index

Africa