Africa’s economic growth is projected to increase to 3.8% in 2025 and 4.1% in 2026, according to a United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) report released Wednesday.
The report further highlighted the growing threat of climate change, which is expected to negatively impact agricultural productivity and worsen food insecurity across many parts of the continent.
Zuzana Schwidrowski, UNECA’s Director of the Macro-Economics, Finance, and Governance Division, acknowledged the resilience of African economies but emphasized that current growth rates are insufficient to drive widespread social development across the continent.
Intra-African trade has become more dynamic and diversified in some regions, its overall contribution to Africa’s growth has declined compared to previous years.
Despite being the second-fastest-growing global region, Africa’s growth has been mainly driven by a reduction in inflationary pressures.
Although extreme poverty has decreased in line with global trends, it remains disproportionately high across most of Africa, with North Africa as the only exception.
