Angola has regained its position as the third-largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, currently led by South Africa, according to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) report on the 2026 economic outlook. Analysts believe this position gives the country greater weight and investor confidence.
This positioning results from an upward revision of Angola’s GDP growth forecast to 2.3% in 2026, above the previously estimated 2.1% by the IMF under its global economic outlook.
In its report, the international financial institution estimates Angola’s real GDP at 152.35 billion US dollars and per capita income at 3,750 dollars, placing the country third in Sub-Saharan Africa, behind South Africa (USD 479.96 billion) and Nigeria (USD 377.37 billion).
In the region, Angola surpasses economies such as Kenya, which ranks fourth with a GDP of 147.26 billion US dollars, followed by Ethiopia, Ghana, and Tanzania with USD 121.53 billion, USD 118.29 billion, and USD 94.89 billion respectively.
However, the IMF warns that the pace of economic expansion remains below population growth (around 3.5%), resulting in a decline in per capita income. In 2025, Angola’s GDP at current prices stood at 128.302 billion US dollars, recording real growth of 3.13%. The non-oil sector grew by 5.11%, offsetting a contraction of 5.23% in the oil sector.
Fonte: O País
