Top 10 Lowest Unemployment Rates in Africa in 2026
Niger has Africa's lowest unemployment rate at 0.4%, ahead of Burundi (0.9%) and Chad (1.1%), but the figures mostly reflect informal and subsistence work, not strong labour markets.
Mr. Ebatamehi is a Senior Analyst, specialized in Africa’s economic trends, investment flows, and entrepreneurial ecosystems, turning complex policy and market shifts into practical insights. Email: [email protected]
Niger has Africa's lowest unemployment rate at 0.4%, ahead of Burundi (0.9%) and Chad (1.1%), but the figures mostly reflect informal and subsistence work, not strong labour markets.
Chad has the highest fertility rate in Africa — and the world — at 5.84 children per woman in 2026, ahead of Somalia (5.81) and the DR Congo (5.80).
Zimbabwe has Africa's highest central bank interest rate at 30%, ahead of Malawi (24%) and Nigeria (23%), which slipped to third after the CBN's record 350 basis point cut.
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.
Seychelles has Africa's highest GDP per capita at $17,675 in 2026, ahead of Mauritius ($13,812) and Gabon ($9,918), according to the IMF's April 2026 World Economic Outlook.
Nigeria is Africa's most populous country, with an estimated 242.4 million people in 2026, followed by Ethiopia (138.9 million) and Egypt (120.1 million), according to Worldometer and United Nations population data.
Tunisia has the strongest currency in Africa, with the dinar trading at 2.96 to the US dollar at the start of August 2026, followed by Libya (6.41) and Morocco (9.38), according to Forbes Advisor exchange rate data.
Nigeria is home to Africa's wealthiest individual, Aliko Dangote of Nigeria, worth $31.4 billion, according to Forbes' real-time billionaires tracker as of September 1, 2026, ahead eSwatini's Nathan Kirsh ($19.2 billion) and South Africa's Johann Rupert ($17.5 billion)
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