Africa is a continent with immense potential, abundant in both natural and human resources. However, productivity varies significantly across its 54 countries.
According to the International Labour Organisation (ILO), labour productivity represents the total volume of output (measured in terms of Gross Domestic Product, GDP) produced per unit of labour (measured in terms of the number of employed persons or hours worked) during a given time reference period.
In an earlier piece, we discussed how labour productivity is an important factor that drives economic growth and improves people’s standard of living globally.
Africa, with its large and growing human resource base, presents a unique case in the global productivity landscape. The continent boasts a youthful and dynamic workforce with huge potential.
However, compared to other developed economies, many African countries still struggle with low labour productivity. Poor infrastructure, economic mismanagement, and poor education and skills development on the continent are major causes of this.
On the continent, while Libya is ranked the most productive country with 30$ GDP per hour worked, Burundi, the Central African Republic, and Liberia are ranked the least productive countries with 30$ GDP per hour worked according to data from Ilostat.
Below are the top 10 least productive countries in Africa:
| Rank | Country | GDP per hour worked $ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burundi | $1 |
| 2 | Central African Republic | $1 |
| 3 | Liberia | $1 |
| 4 | Niger | $2 |
| 5 | Madagascar | $2 |
| 6 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | $2 |
| 7 | Mozambique | $2 |
| 8 | Eritrea | $2 |
| 9 | Chad | $2 |
| 10 | Sierra Leone | $2 |
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