Top 10 African countries with the lowest GDP growth in 2025 compared to last year
Business Insider Africa presents the top 10 African countries with the lowest GDP growth in 2025 compared to last year.
This list is courtesy of the Africa Pulse report by the World Bank.
South Sudan ranks number 1 on the list.
Numerous obstacles and drawbacks for the continent's growth trajectory are presented by this declining tendency.
These nations have the potential to influence trade patterns and regional integration by serving as pillars of stability and economic power in their respective areas.
African nations with increasing growth are standing out in a year when many economies are slowing down; they are creating the foundation for long-term benefits, increased global significance, and better living conditions for their people.
First and foremost, governments are less able to create jobs when GDP slows.
The youthful population of Africa is growing quickly, with millions of young people joining the workforce every.
Job creation falls behind population growth as economic development stagnates, which exacerbates underemployment and unemployment.
More young people may be forced into informal or unstable labor as a result of this circumstance, which might intensify social discontent.
Secondly, government revenue is constrained by slower GDP growth.
Tax revenue declines with slowing economic activity, which leaves governments with less money to spend on vital areas like public safety, infrastructure, healthcare, and education.
Significant investment in growth is hampered by high debt and limited fiscal flexibility.
Investors generally prefer stability and growth, and a decline in economic performance indicates increased risk.
This implies that countries experiencing slower development may have a more difficult time attracting investment for manufacturing, technology, and resource extraction initiatives, all of which are critical areas for long-term structural reform.
Furthermore, countries with slower development are more susceptible to external shocks.
Whether it's a rise in fuel prices, climate-related disasters, or trade disruptions, economies that aren't growing fast enough have fewer buffers to absorb these impacts, resulting in increased inequality and economic fragility.
With that said, here are the African countries with the largest dip in real GDP growth this year, from last year, as per the Africa Pulse Report by the World Bank.
Rank Country Real GDP growth rate 2025 Real GDP growth rate 2024
1. South Sudan -34.7 -7.2
2. Equatorial Guinea -3.1 1.6
3. Rwanda 7.0 8.9
4. Ghana 3.9 5.7
5. Angola 2.7 4.4
6. Democratic Republic of Congo 4.8 6.5
7. Ethiopia 6.4 8.1
8. Mauritius 3.2 4.7
9. Cabo Verde 5.9 7.3
10. Niger 7.1 8.4
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Wire
9 hours ago
- Business Wire
Resecurity and AfricaCERT Forge Strategic Partnership to Advance Cybersecurity Across the African Continent
LOS ANGELES & ACCRA, Ghana--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Resecurity, Inc., a U.S.-based cybersecurity and threat intelligence company, has entered into a formal Joint Cooperation Agreement with AfricaCERT, the premier pan-African organization coordinating computer emergency response teams (CERTs) and national cybersecurity centers. This partnership lays the groundwork for long-term cooperation in sharing cyber threat intelligence, capacity building, and strategic incident response across Africa. Enhancing Regional Cyber Defense As part of the agreement, Resecurity will provide AfricaCERT with direct access to its Context ™ and Risk ™ advanced CTI platforms. The platforms are designed to support national-level threat monitoring, cyber risk intelligence, and digital investigations. This capability will enable AfricaCERT to detect real-time information leaks, identify malicious activity targeting African digital assets, and analyze emerging cyber threats impacting public and private sector entities across the continent. These are the same CTI Resecurity services used by NGOs both inside and outside Africa to fight human trafficking, fraud, and other illegal activities. AfricaCERT's leadership emphasized that real-time access to threat intelligence is crucial for preventing and responding to cyberattacks targeting national infrastructure, financial systems, and citizen data across Africa. 'Our main objective is to monitor, in real time, data related to information leaks and threats specifically targeting African countries,' said Mr. Kodzo Gadzekpo Adomey, Operations Manager at AfricaCERT. 'Through this collaboration, we gain visibility into global threat actors and campaigns that are impacting our region, and we strengthen our ability to coordinate international responses in a timely and effective manner.' A Shared Commitment to Intelligence-Led Security Resecurity's threat intelligence aggregates data from multiple sources, including the deep and dark web, closed forums, malware telemetry, and exposed data repositories. By leveraging this platform, AfricaCERT will be able to detect early warning signs of cyberattacks and act on verified intelligence to reduce risk across national and regional networks. 'We are honored to work alongside AfricaCERT in building stronger cyber defense capabilities throughout the continent,' said Shawn Loveland, Chief Operating Officer of Resecurity. 'This partnership demonstrates our shared commitment to promoting proactive, intelligence-led cybersecurity and advancing digital trust in the African region to support the continent's digitization.' Supporting Capacity Building and Incident Response Beyond technology enablement, the agreement supports broader strategic objectives, including: Capacity building through training, workshops, and joint exercises. Information sharing related to cybercrime trends, APTs, and digital fraud targeting African countries. Participation in international cybersecurity events and panels. Collaborative response to major incidents and transnational threats. AfricaCERT will support Resecurity's regional outreach through communications, references, and joint participation in cybersecurity development programs. The two organizations will also hold regular strategy meetings to review progress, share insights, and adapt to the evolving threat landscape. Governance, Confidentiality, and Long-Term Vision The agreement clearly defines terms related to confidentiality, usage restrictions, and intellectual property protections. It also outlines mutual responsibilities and future cooperation plans that both parties must adhere to. Both parties have agreed to respect sensitive data policies and uphold the trust of partners and stakeholders across the region. The signing of the agreement marks a significant milestone in Resecurity's global engagement strategy and reflects AfricaCERT's leadership in uniting security and incident response teams to build a resilient cyber ecosystem. About Resecurity Resecurity® is a cybersecurity company that delivers a unified endpoint protection, fraud prevention, risk management, and cyber threat intelligence platform. Known for providing best-of-breed data-driven intelligence solutions, Resecurity's services and platforms focus on early-warning identification of data breaches and comprehensive protection against cybersecurity risks. Founded in 2016, it has been globally recognized as one of the world's most innovative cybersecurity companies, with a sole mission to enable organizations to combat cyber threats, regardless of their sophistication. Most recently, Inc. Magazine named Resecurity one of the Top 10 fastest-growing private cybersecurity companies in Los Angeles, California. As a member of InfraGard National Members Alliance (INMA), AFCEA, NDIA, SIA, FS-ISAC, and the American Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia (AmChamKSA), Singapore (AmChamSG), Korea (AmChamKorea), Mexico (AmChamMX), Thailand (AmChamThailand), and the UAE (AmChamDubai). To learn more about Resecurity, visit About AfricaCERT AfricaCERT is the Forum of African National and Regional Computer Emergency Response Teams. It plays a central role in promoting cybersecurity collaboration, coordinating incident response, and strengthening digital resilience across the African continent. AfricaCERT works to improve cyber preparedness by delivering technical training, establishing best practices, and supporting the creation and growth of Security operation centers and Incident Response Teams. It also facilitates the sharing of trusted information among its members and partners to address emerging threats and digital risks affecting critical infrastructure, government agencies, and private enterprises. As a key regional stakeholder, AfricaCERT collaborates with global organizations to shape a safer and more secure digital future for Africa. For more information, visit
Business Insider
14 hours ago
- Business Insider
Zambia warns $15000 US visa bond rule poses 'unnecessary financial strain'
The visa bond policy, enacted by the Trump administration, affects two African nations — Zambia and Malawi. It requires certain visitors from these countries to pay a refundable bond of up to $15000 as a condition for entry into the US and was introduced to encourage compliance with visa terms and curb overstays. The Zambian government's statement, issued on Friday, comes amid growing unease in several countries targeted by the rule, which Washington says is aimed at discouraging overstays on specific visa categories. ' While the (U.S.) government has a prerogative to initiate policy changes, the Zambian government views this development with serious concern, given its potential economic implications on trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges,' Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe said in the statement. ' This includes the unnecessary financial strain on Zambian nationals.' Malawi, another African nation affected by the policy, has also raised concerns over the measure. The move comes as Trump intensifies his crackdown on illegal immigration, increasing resources to secure the border with Mexico and arrest people in the U.S. illegally. Trump-era visa clampdown on African nations President Donald Trump has implemented a series of immigration measures that have had a pronounced impact on several African nations. These actions included tightening visa rules, expanding the travel ban in 2020 to cover Nigeria, Eritrea, Sudan, and Tanzania, and launching a visa bond program requiring applicants from certain countries to deposit up to $15,000. The policy changes, which also imposed stricter vetting on students and temporary workers, have fuelled perceptions of a U.S. increasingly resistant to African engagement. African governments and rights groups have condemned the measures as discriminatory and damaging to U.S.-Africa relations. While Washington insists that the visa bond is refundable if travellers comply with visa term such as departing on time, critics argue the requirement disproportionately burdens lower- and middle-income applicants, while leaving wealthier travellers relatively unaffected. Diplomatic discussions are ongoing, with Zambia signalling plans to press the U.S. for either an exemption or a review of the policy.
Entrepreneur
15 hours ago
- Entrepreneur
Private Equity Eyes Inclusive Growth Amid Digital and Market Transformations
For private equity (PE) and impact firms like Leapfrog, these trends are shaping their investment strategy for the foreseeable future. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Emerging markets are undergoing a rapid transformation in access to essential services, driven by both rising demand and expanding digital infrastructure. According to the World Bank's Global Findex 2025 survey, financial inclusion has advanced at an unprecedented pace, with 40 per cent of adults in developing economies now saving through financial accounts, a 16-percentage-point increase since 2021. Mobile-money adoption has been a key driver, with 10 per cent of adults using such accounts to save, underscoring the role of technology in bridging service gaps for low- and middle-income populations. For private equity (PE) and impact firms like Leapfrog, these trends are shaping their investment strategy for the foreseeable future. Pranav Kumar, Partner at Leapfrog Investments, said that the demand from low and middle-income customers for essential services like financial services and healthcare (such as mortgage, small business loans, or diagnostics) is large and still underserved. On the supply side, the key trends like digitization (and now AI), smartphones, and public digital infrastructure have allowed smart-driven entrepreneurs to build solutions to serve this demand at low cost. "Patient and operationally active equity capital such as ours will continue to play an important role in enabling these entrepreneurs and management teams. The increasing depth and sophistication of capital and IPO markets, enabling exits, will continue to encourage equity capital in the private space," said Kumar. Bain & Company reports that in 2024, India was the largest exit market in the Asia-Pacific region, with IPO exit values up 78 per cent year-on-year. S&P Global data further indicates a 156 per cent jump in private equity exits in India over the same period, even as new deal volumes eased. Such trends suggest that patient, growth-oriented capital can now be recycled more efficiently, encouraging deeper investment in high-impact sectors. Leapfrog has announced two successful exits in recent months, the first being Fincare Bank exited through block deals. The firm also sold its majority stake in Goodlife Pharmacy, East Africa's largest pharmacy platform, to CFAO. "Our strategy has been to partner with quality management teams, fund and execute growth through economic cycles, and aggressively leverage technology to drive economics," said Kumar. Kumar added that the firm remains upbeat about the sustained long-term growth of Indian businesses supported by a resilient Indian economy and a deep capital market. "However, it is important to identify resilient business models and high-quality partners. We will continue to back businesses that deliver commercial returns alongside achieving tangible social impact to the underserved population and small businesses."
