The African Exponent — Africa, Measured
Featured
Top 10 African Countries by Diaspora Remittances in 2026
Egypt received $41.5 billion in 2025, more than ranks 3 to 10 combined, as Africa's diaspora sent home $124 billion. Here are the 10 countries that received the most diaspora remittances, ranked on the latest available figures for each country.
Top rankings
$1.4 Trillion Moved by Phone in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025, About Two-Thirds of All Mobile Money on Earth
In 2025, more money moved through mobile money wallets in Sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world combined. GSMA data shows the region is now the global centre of phone-based finance.
Sending $200 Home to Sub-Saharan Africa Costs 8.46%, the Highest Price in the World
Chart of the Day: Sending $200 to Sub-Saharan Africa costs 8.46% on average, $16.92 of every $200. It is the highest price of any region in the world, on the World Bank's latest figures.
Top 10 Richest Cities in Africa by Millionaires in 2026
Johannesburg still leads Africa with 11,700 resident dollar millionaires in June 2025, but six South African cities take 33,200 of the top 10 total of 50,700, while Lagos, West Africa's richest city, sits only seventh with 3,600.
Top 10 African Countries by Diaspora Remittances in 2026
Egypt received $41.5 billion in 2025, more than ranks 3 to 10 combined, as Africa's diaspora sent home $124 billion. Here are the 10 countries that received the most diaspora remittances, ranked on the latest available figures for each country.
7 of the World's 10 Oldest Leaders Rule the World's Youngest Continent
Pew Research found 7 of the world's 10 oldest leaders are African, led by Cameroon's Paul Biya, 93. The median African is 19.5 years old. The gap between the governed and the governors is more than 70 years.
Tanzania vs Kenya in 2026: Economy, Army and Population Compared
Kenya's economy is 57% bigger than Tanzania's, but Tanzania has 24% more people and 63% more land. Across nine scored measures, Kenya edges it 5-4. Ranked on IMF, UN and Global Firepower 2026 figures.
Presidential Pay vs Minimum Wage: Africa's Biggest Gaps in 2026
Burundi's president earns 2,433 times the monthly minimum wage, more than the other nine leaders in this top 10 combined. We compared presidential pay with the lowest legal wage in 33 African countries.
Top 10 African Countries With the Most Coups Since 1960, Ranked
Sudan leads Africa with 14 coup attempts since 1960, Burkina Faso turned 9 of its 10 into takeovers, and 7 of the top 10 are West African. Full ranking, Powell and Thyne data to August 2026.
85% of Africans Who Work, Work Informally: The Highest Rate on Earth
85% of Africans who work do so informally, the highest rate on Earth, against a world average of about 58%. Only about 15% hold a formal job. The ILO's new brief says informal workers power African trade but have almost no voice in the policies that govern it.
Dar es Salaam vs Nairobi: Which City Is Cheaper to Live In 2026
Dar es Salaam beats Nairobi on overall cost of living, but not everywhere. A cheap restaurant meal costs nearly 3.5 times as much in Nairobi, while a city-centre flat costs more in Dar. These are the 10 biggest price gaps, ranked.
Top 10 Biggest Private-Sector Employers in Africa in 2026
Shoprite employs 174,430 people, nearly double third placed Pick n Pay and far ahead of every rival except Bidvest. Nine of the ten biggest private employers are headquartered in South Africa, and Egypt's Orascom Construction is the only exception.
Where Young Africans Can't Find Work: Youth Unemployment in Africa, Ranked 2026
Djibouti has Africa's highest youth unemployment at 76.8%, with more than three in four young jobseekers out of work. South Africa, Eswatini and Libya follow in this 2026 edition, ranked on ILO modelled estimates for 2025.
Top 10 Tribes of Ethiopia by Population in 2026
Ethiopia's 2007 census counted more than 80 groups. The Oromo lead with 47.9 million in 2026, ahead of the Amhara at 37.3 million.
Top 10 Tribes of DR Congo by Population in 2026
DR Congo has had no ethnic census since 1984. On the only itemised count available, the Kongo lead with 19.0 million people, just ahead of the Luba at 17.1 million.
The Median African Is 19. The Median European Is 43.
Half of all Africans are 19 or younger. Half of all Europeans are 43 or older. The 23.6-year gap is the widest generational divide between any two continents on Earth.
Top 10 Tribes of Kenya by Population in 2026
Kenya's 2019 census counted 47.6 million people across more than 40 communities. The Kikuyu lead with 10.0 million in 2026, ahead of the Luhya and Kalenjin.
Top 10 African Countries With the Worst Power Cuts in Africa in 2026
In Chad, 97 in 100 people have no reliable electricity. Nigeria is 7th, with only 10 in 100 enjoying power that works most or all of the time. The figures come from Afrobarometer Round 10, 2024/2025.
Top 10 Countries With the Cheapest Mobile Data in Africa in 2026
One gigabyte costs $0.38 in Malawi and $43.75 in Zimbabwe. Cable.co.uk's latest table ranks every African country on the average price of 1GB. Nigeria is second cheapest, and South Africa is 149th in the world.
Top 10 Busiest Ports in Africa in 2026
Tanger Med handled 11.1 million containers in 2025, about as many as all of Egypt's ports combined. Egypt has three ports in Africa's top 10. Nigeria has none. Here is the full ranking.
Africa's Biggest Rail Projects in 2026, Ranked by Kilometers Under Construction
Nine intercity railways are under construction across Africa right now, totaling 5,878 kilometers. Egypt's high-speed network alone is longer than the five smallest projects combined.
Top 10 African Airlines by Fleet Size in 2026
Ethiopian Airlines flies 162 aircraft as of July 2026, more than the next two African airlines combined. Here are the ten largest fleets on the continent, ranked by size.
Top 10 Biggest Retail and Supermarket Chains in Africa in 2026
Shoprite sells more than the next two African chains combined. South Africa's big four take 89% of the top 10's $40.5 billion in sales, and Nigeria has no chain in the ranking at all.
M-PESA Moved KES 41.7 Trillion in One Year, More Than Twice Kenya's Entire GDP
In one year, M-PESA moved KES 41.68 trillion, 2.37 times Kenya's entire GDP of KES 17.58 trillion. One payment rail now carries a flow more than double the economy it sits in.
Top 10 African Fintechs by Valuation in 2026
Africa's ten most valuable fintechs are worth $18.05 billion combined, and four of them are Nigerian. Flutterwave leads at $3.25 billion, but OPay came within a day of overtaking it. Valuations as of November 12, 2026.
The Vaccines and Biologics Market in Africa: Size, Players, Rules and Outlook in 2026
Africa makes about 1% of the vaccines it uses and imports the rest. This briefing sizes the $3 billion market, maps the factories racing to change that, and tests whether the 60% by 2040 target is credible.
M-PESA Moved KES 41.7 Trillion in One Year, More Than Twice Kenya's Entire GDP
In one year, M-PESA moved KES 41.68 trillion, 2.37 times Kenya's entire GDP of KES 17.58 trillion. One payment rail now carries a flow more than double the economy it sits in.
The Median African Is 19. The Median European Is 43.
Half of all Africans are 19 or younger. Half of all Europeans are 43 or older. The 23.6-year gap is the widest generational divide between any two continents on Earth.
$1.4 Trillion Moved by Phone in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025, About Two-Thirds of All Mobile Money on Earth
In 2025, more money moved through mobile money wallets in Sub-Saharan Africa than in the rest of the world combined. GSMA data shows the region is now the global centre of phone-based finance.
Top 10 African Countries with the Best Football Teams in 2026
Morocco is Africa's best football team in 2026, ranked 7th in the world with 1,805.34 FIFA points — ahead of Senegal (18th) and Egypt (25th).
Dollar to Naira: 10 Years in One Chart
The dollar bought 305 naira at the official rate in 2016 and buys 1,326 naira in September 2026, a decade of Central Bank of Nigeria and NAFEM exchange rate data shows.
Kenya Just Won The Right To Host The World Athletics Championships, And It Took The Sport Four Decades To Let Africa In
Nairobi just beat London, Munich, and Rome for the right to host track and field's biggest stage. The real story is not that Kenya won. It is that Africa has been the sport's engine room for decades and still had to wait this long for an invitation to host the party.
Top 10 African Countries With The Biggest Hydroelectric Dams In 2026
Hydropower keeps the lights on for a huge share of the continent. We ranked the top 10 African countries by the installed capacity of their largest hydroelectric dam. Get your calculator ready, because the gap between number one and everyone else is bigger than you think.
Editors’ Picks
Top 10 African Countries with the Most Beautiful Women in 2026
Africa offers unmatched aesthetic diversity. Across vibrant cities and historical regions, women carry themselves with distinct cultural confidence and global fashion influence.
Top 10 African Inventions That Changed The World
Africa’s innovations shaped global civilization. These breakthroughs transformed how societies record knowledge, build cities, grow food, and trade, proving Africa’s central and lasting impact on the foundations of the modern world.
Top 10 African Countries with the Highest Forex Reserves Growth in 2025
In 2025, several African countries recorded notable growth in their forex reserves, driven by a mix of higher commodity exports, improved fiscal discipline, external financing inflows, and stronger monetary management.