10 Most Civilized Countries in Africa

If you still think of Africa as of a continent with uncivilized people who live in tribes or if you simply want to learn something new about this incredible part of the world, make sure to read the list of 10 most civilized countries in Africa.

Yes, I know that we are usually full of certain biases and that we create our opinion based on what we see in media or according to some stories that we have heard but never been able to check them personally. It is why we have formed opinions in advance, not just about Africa, but about any part of the world, and I think it is finally time to get over it. Having said that, I will just remind you of certain people who came from that continent and who made a great impact on the world as we know it today. Mentioning Nelson Mandela would probably be enough, but I can’t resist mentioning some other names, such as Kofi Annan or Chinua Achebe. Taking into consideration that all of these people actually had a great education, bringing us to the conclusion that this continent is progressive in this regard as well, and you should definitely read our list of Most Educated Countries in Africa.

However, I really struggled with one thing: how does one measure civilization? What are the most important factors that one country needs to have in order to be proclaimed as civilized? What bothered me even more: do we really still have countries that can be considered as uncivilized, so we need to decide about the most civilized among them? After thinking for a while, I definitely decided to take into consideration the Human Development Index (HDI) and to make the final classification according to that. This was not just a random decision but based on what HDI actually measures. In order to create HDI for one country, crucial things are taken into regard: life expectancy, which does not focus only on the average duration of life, but also on its quality; access to knowledge which is measured based on the years of education; and gross national income per capita (GNI), which deals with a decent standard of living. The last Human Development Report was published in 2016, and the most accurate data can be found there. I singled out all the African countries and made a list of 10 highest ranked.

So, let us take a closer look at the list of most civilized countries in Africa.

10. Cape Verde

HDI: 0.648

While being on the 10^th place among African countries, Cape Verde is actually at the 122^nd place in the world regarding HDI. The average life expectancy in this country is 73.5, while the average years spent in school are 13.5. Gross national income per capita expressed in dollars is 6,049, and following all of this, Cape Verde has a medium human development.

9. South Africa

HDI: 0.666

Not surprisingly, South Africa is on this list of most civilized countries in Africa, and all of the features that comprise HDI put it on the 119^th place in the world. The average life expectancy in South Africa is 57.7, while the average years of education are 13, being a little less than the previous country. However, what makes it better ranked is actually GNI, which is $12,087.

8. Egypt

HDI: 0.691

We are continuing our list of most civilized countries in Africa with Egypt that is at the 111^th place in the world regarding HDI, and the average life expectancy in this country is 71.3. The number of schooling years is 13.1 and the gross national income per capita is $10,064.

7. Gabon

HDI: 0.697

I have to admit that I was surprised to find Gabon on the list since we generally don’t know much about this country. Nevertheless, the average life expectancy here is 64.9 and the expected years at school are 12.6, bringing it to the 109^th place in the world. GNI per capita in Gabon is $19,044.

6. Botswana

HDI: 0.698

Botswana holds the 6^th place among most civilized countries in Africa, while it is 108^th in the world. The average life expectancy in Botswana is 64.5, while the expected years at school are 12.6. The gross national income per capita is $14,663.

5. Libya

HDI: 0.716

With Libya, the next one on our list of most civilized countries in Africa we move from the countries that have medium human development, to those which have high human development, since Libya is at the 102^nd place in the world regarding HDI. The average life expectancy here is 71.8, while expected years at school are 13.4. GNI per capita is $14,303.

4. Tunisia

HDI: 0.725

This very attractive country holds the 97^th place in the world when it comes to HDI, and the average life expectancy is 75. The expected years at school are 14.6, while the gross national income per capita is $10,249.

3. Algeria

HDI: 0.745

With Algeria, the number three on the list of most civilized countries in Africa we go down to the 83^rd place in the world regarding HDI, and you have to admit, this country is incredible. The average life expectancy in Algeria is 75 and expected years at school are 14.4, being very similar to Tunisia. However, the GNI per capita is a little bit higher in this case, since the amount is $13,533.

2. Mauritius

HDI: 0.781

With this HDI, we are still among the countries that have high human development index, and Mauritius proudly holds the 64^th place. The average life expectancy is 74.6, while the expected years at school are 15.2. The gross national income per capita is $17,948.

1. Seychelles

HDI: 0.782

Right after Mauritius is Seychelles, with the average life expectancy of 73.3 and expected years at school of 14.1. The gross national income here is $23,886, and besides being the 63^rd in the world, Seychelles is the most civilized country in Africa according to Human Development Index.