This is a list of the richest countries in Africa as of 2023 by GDP (PPP) per capita according to the latest research by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Africa is a natural resource-rich continent. The continent holds around 30% of the world’s known mineral reserves. Sadly, this does not reflect the state of Africa’s economy. Very few countries have been able to fully utilise these untapped resources. The main reason is political instability and lagging in terms of technology.
Using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP), Seychelles ranks as the richest country in Africa as of 2023 with a GDP (PPP) per capita of $35,272.28 while Burundi is the poorest with a GDP (PPP) per capita of $855.61. GDP per capita is a measure of a country’s economic output divided by its total population while purchasing power parity (PPP) is a measure of price level differences across countries based on currency values.
Below is the full list of the richest countries in Africa by GDP (PPP) per capita 2023.
Country | GDP per capita (PPP) in US Dollars | |
1. | Seychelles | 35,272.28 |
2. | Mauritius | 25,043.15 |
3. | Botswana | 19,286.91 |
4. | Equatorial Guinea | 19,036.45 |
5. | Libya | 18,345.14 |
6. | Gabon | 17,848.29 |
7. | South Africa | 15,361.30 |
8. | Egypt | 14,927.59 |
9. | Algeria | 13,002.44 |
10. | Tunisia | 12,299.68 |
11. | Namibia | 10,448.11 |
12. | Eswatini | 10,411.31 |
13. | Morocco | 9,041.24 |
14. | Cape Verde | 7,739.92 |
15. | Angola | 7,359.58 |
16. | Mauritania | 6,920.23 |
17. | Ghana | 6,753.84 |
18. | Djibouti | 6,666.77 |
19. | Côte d’Ivoire | 6,345.07 |
20. | Kenya | 6,061.42 |
21. | Nigeria | 5,852.61 |
22. | São Tomé and Príncipe | 4,681.44 |
23. | Republic of Congo | 4,578.15 |
24. | Sudan | 4,441.51 |
25. | Cameroon | 4,398.31 |
26. | Benin | 4,136.86 |
27. | Senegal | 4,092.53 |
28. | Zambia | 3,776.37 |
29. | Ethiopia | 3,407.21 |
30. | Tanzania | 3,358.28 |
31. | Comoros | 3,355.31 |
32. | Lesotho | 3,033.98 |
33. | Guinea | 3,029.43 |
34. | Uganda | 2,960.52 |
35. | Rwanda | 2,807.56 |
36. | Guinea-Bissau | 2,783.97 |
37. | Burkina Faso | 2,663.39 |
38. | The Gambia | 2,645.76 |
39. | Togo | 2,599.14 |
40. | Mali | 2,575.41 |
41. | Zimbabwe | 2,523.03 |
42. | Eritrea | 2,101.43 |
43. | Sierra Leone | 1,957.58 |
44. | Liberia | 1,779.37 |
45. | Madagascar | 1,777.65 |
46. | Chad | 1,704.61 |
47. | Malawi | 1,602.74 |
48. | Mozambique | 1,438.70 |
49. | Niger | 1,434.72 |
50. | Somalia | 1,321.96 |
51. | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1,315.94 |
52. | Central African Republic | 1,101.77 |
53. | South Sudan | 927.54 |
54. | Burundi | 855.61 |