From Capital Eritrea

August 18, 2014 marks 500 days until the target date for the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the world’s “to-do list” to improve lives and alleviate poverty around the world. 

Given the attention Africa receives these days, you might want to read about 50 things you didn’t know about the continent.

The Africa Development Indicators 2012/2013 annual report, provided the most recent, detailed, data on development in Africa, containing macroeconomic, sectoral, and social indicators, covering 53 African countries with a focus on Sub-Saharan Africa. Below are 50 facts gathered from the report by the Worldbank, in case you missed it.

Economy

• Nigeria has the largest population in Sub-Saharan Africa (158.4 million people) and accounts for 19 percent of the continent’s total population.

• South Africa’s and Nigeria’s GDP in nominal prices comprised about 50 percent of total SSA’s GDP.

• SSA GDP growth was 5 percent . Chad, Liberia, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe had the largest growth at 13 percent , 10.3%, 9.9 percent and 9 percent respectively by rank. Twenty-six of the 48 SSA countries had a growth of over 5 percent for the same period.

 

Read more at Capital Eritrea