The African Exponent — Africa, Measured
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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.
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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.
East Africa Combined vs Nigeria: Whose Economy Is Bigger in 2026?
The eight East African Community economies together are worth $490.9bn in 2026, IMF projections show, $104.3bn more than Nigeria and just ahead of South Africa. But per person, Nigeria is still richer.
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 9 Tribes of South Africa by Population in 2026
South Africa's census counts first language, not tribe, so this ranking follows its nine indigenous African-language groups. The Zulu lead at nearly 16 million people in 2026.
Top 10 Tribes of Ghana by Population in 2026
The Akan are 16.3 million people, 45.7 percent of Ghana, and they outnumber ranks 3 to 8 combined. Ghana has a real census behind its numbers: the 2021 census shares applied to 35.7 million people in 2026, with the Yoruba and Hausa completing the top 10.
Top 10 Tribes in Nigeria by Population in 2026
The Hausa are Nigeria's largest tribe at about 72.7 million people in 2026, ahead of the Yoruba (37.6 million) and the Igbo (36.8 million). The 10 largest of Nigeria's 250-plus tribes hold about 188 million people, 78% of the country.
By 2050, 1 in Every 4 People on Earth Will Be African
Chart of the Day: By 2050, about 1 in 4 people on Earth will be African, up from 1 in 11 in 1950. Africa adds about 1 billion people by 2050, more than two thirds of all growth in humanity.
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 Busiest Airports in Africa in 2026
Cairo handled 31.1 million passengers in 2025, more than Addis Ababa and Casablanca combined. Lagos, the airport of Africa's biggest country, only just missed the top 10. Ranked on full-year 2025 passenger totals.
Top 10 African Countries With the Best Water and Sanitation Access in 2026
Seychelles leads Africa on water and sanitation access in 2026 with a combined score of 98.71, just 0.06 points ahead of Mauritius. Nigeria ranks 21st of 52 countries and Ethiopia 48th. Ranked on 2024 WHO/UNICEF data.
Biggest Cement Producers in Africa in 2026
Dangote Cement's 55.0 million tonnes a year of installed capacity is more than three times its nearest rival, BUA Cement (17.0), and bigger than the next three producers combined.
One Refinery Processes 700,000 Barrels a Day: Dangote Built the Largest Single-Train Refinery on Earth
Dangote's Lekki refinery was designed for 650,000 barrels a day. Its IPO prospectus re-rated it to 700,000 in June 2026, about 1.6 times all four of Nigeria's state refineries put together.
Top 10 Telecom Operators in Africa by Subscribers in 2026
MTN Group leads Africa's telecom operators with 307.2 million customers, ahead of Vodacom and Airtel Africa. The top 10 operator groups by mobile subscribers, with latest reported figures and as-of dates.
Top 10 Most Funded African Startups in 2026
MNT-Halan leads with about $989 million raised, ahead of Moove at $710 million. These are the ten African-founded startups that have raised the most money, and what the money bought them.
The Pharmaceutical Market in Africa: Size, Players, Rules and Outlook in 2026
Africa's drug market is worth about $29 billion, yet the continent imports more than 70% of its medicines and 99% of its vaccines. This deep dive maps the size, the players, the rules and the outlook to 2030.
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.
One Refinery Processes 700,000 Barrels a Day: Dangote Built the Largest Single-Train Refinery on Earth
Dangote's Lekki refinery was designed for 650,000 barrels a day. Its IPO prospectus re-rated it to 700,000 in June 2026, about 1.6 times all four of Nigeria's state refineries put together.
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.
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.