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Sub-region of Africa · Country Index 2026

Eastern Africa

How are the countries of Eastern Africa doing?

Half of Eastern Africa’s 18 placed countries sit at or above 153rd of 183 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 21st of 22 sub-regions. Mauritius is placed highest, 45th; South Sudan lowest, 183rd. None reaches the world’s top fifth. 1 more of its 19 countries and territories is not placed.

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Eastern AfricaUN M49 014

Eastern Africa, shown in red on a map of the world

153rd

median position of 183 · 21st of 22 sub-regions

Africa →median 148th

01Who is in it

The countries of Eastern Africa

Alphabetical, with each country’s own banner photograph. The position is its place in the whole world ranking, never within the region.

02The region

About Eastern Africa

The Horn, the Great Lakes and the Indian Ocean coast, from Eritrea to Zimbabwe.

Eastern Africa runs from the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea south through the Great Lakes to Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and out to the islands of the Indian Ocean, from Madagascar to Mauritius and Seychelles. The Great Rift Valley crosses the region, flanked by volcanic highlands, Mount Kilimanjaro and some of the largest and deepest lakes in the world.

Some of the oldest fossils of early humans have been found here, and the region was home to the kingdom of Aksum, the Swahili trading towns of the coast and the kingdoms of the Great Lakes. Ethiopia was never colonised apart from a brief occupation, while most of its neighbours became independent from Britain, France, Italy, Belgium and Portugal in the twentieth century. Swahili is widely spoken as a shared language.

03Where

Eastern Africa on the map

Each member shaded by its position in the Country Index 2026, darkest for the best placed; the countries across its land borders in grey. Hover a country for its position, or select it to open its profile.

Country Index position: 1st183rdMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks

04Country Index 2026

Where Eastern Africa’s countries place

Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 183, never a second list within the region; “=” marks a position shared with another country. Hover the ⓘ for where a country would sit if any one key statistic were dropped.

The full Country Index 2026
Eastern Africa’s 18 placed countries by their Country Index 2026 position, best placed first.
In regionCountryIn the world1st183rd
1Mauritius45 / 183between 44th and 47th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
2Seychelles46 / 183between 45th and 51st if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics
3Kenya117 / 183between 110th and 123rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
4Rwanda127 / 183between 123rd and 131st if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
5Uganda131 / 183between 125th and 144th if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics
6Malawi136 / 183between 130th and 140th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
7Zambia138 / 183between 130th and 141st if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
8Tanzania142 / 183between 137th and 145th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
9Ethiopia153 / 183between 148th and 159th if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics
10Djibouti156 / 183between 151st and 163rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
11Mozambique160 / 183between 153rd and 164th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
12Comoros163 / 183between 158th and 164th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
13Madagascar164 / 183between 160th and 167th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
14Burundi165 / 183between 160th and 171st if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
15Zimbabwe168 / 183between 163rd and 170th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
16Eritrea177 / 183between 174th and 179th if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics
17Somalia182 / 183between 180th and 183rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
18South Sudan183 / 183between 181st and 183rd if any one key were dropped · standings on 13 of 16 topics

A further 1 of its countries and territories is not placed: the Country Index 2026 places a country only once it holds a standing on 12 of its 16 voting topics. Somaliland.

Eastern Africa among the 22 sub-regions with a median

21st of 22. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

  1. Western Europe8thPlaced countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 19th.
  2. Northern Europe11thPlaced countries run from Denmark 2nd to Latvia 26th.
  3. Australia and New Zealand17thPlaced countries run from Australia 17th to New Zealand 19th.
  4. Northern America24thPlaced countries run from Canada 24th to United States 37th.
  5. Southern Europe31stPlaced countries run from Slovenia 14th to Bosnia and Herzegovina 62nd.
  6. Eastern Asia42ndPlaced countries run from South Korea 13th to Mongolia 75th.
  7. Eastern Europe43rdPlaced countries run from Czechia 10th to Russia 73rd.
  8. Central America80thPlaced countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 134th.
  9. Caribbean81stPlaced countries run from Barbados 67th to Haiti 173rd.
  10. South America83rdPlaced countries run from Uruguay 35th to Venezuela 133rd.
  11. South-eastern Asia86thPlaced countries run from Singapore 25th to Myanmar 159th.
  12. Polynesia89thPlaced countries run from Samoa 89th to Tonga 97th.
  13. Western Asia95thPlaced countries run from Cyprus 33rd to Yemen 181st.
  14. Central Asia102ndPlaced countries run from Kazakhstan 61st to Turkmenistan 158th.
  15. Southern Asia106thPlaced countries run from Bhutan 52nd to Afghanistan 175th.
  16. Melanesia107thPlaced countries run from Fiji 64th to Papua New Guinea 144th.
  17. Micronesia109thPlaced countries run from Kiribati 109th to Kiribati 109th.
  18. Northern Africa116thPlaced countries run from Tunisia 104th to Sudan 179th.
  19. Southern Africa121stPlaced countries run from South Africa 93rd to Eswatini 147th.
  20. Western Africa148thPlaced countries run from Cabo Verde 94th to Guinea-Bissau 171st.
  21. Eastern Africa153rdPlaced countries run from Mauritius 45th to South Sudan 183rd.
  22. Middle Africa166thPlaced countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 115th to Chad 180th.
  23. Africa, the whole continent148th
  24. The world’s midpoint91st
1st183rdmedian

The square is each region’s median position; the grey bar runs from its best-placed to its lowest-placed country. Hover a row for their names.

05By subject

Topic by topic

Every country’s position on each topic, its shade darker the higher it sits in that topic’s field; select a cell for the country’s page on the topic. Strongest for Eastern Africa: Environment & Sustainability, 5th of 21 sub-regions. Weakest: Mobility & Trade, 22nd of 22.

All topics
Eastern Africa: each country’s position on each topic, with the region’s median and its place among sub-regions.
Environment & SustainabilityEnergyGender & EqualityWork & LabourPeace & SecurityDigital & TechnologyEconomy & InnovationEducation & KnowledgeGovernance & InstitutionsPoverty & InequalityRisk & ResilienceDemocracy & Civil LibertiesDevelopment & Human CapitalHealth & WellbeingFood & AgricultureMobility & TradeMoney & Public FinancePeople & Population
Mauritius158 of 186110 of 16572 of 183114 of 18225 of 17720 of 19836 of 17661 of 19841 of 19461 of 15966 of 19346 of 19880 of 196122 of 20034 of 18478 of 177No standingNo standing
SeychellesNo standing116 of 16543 of 183No standing4 of 177105 of 19849 of 176109 of 19838 of 19464 of 15927 of 19344 of 19874 of 196108 of 20031 of 184172 of 177No standingNo standing
Kenya47 of 18649 of 165106 of 183139 of 182111 of 17772 of 19882 of 176137 of 19896 of 194141 of 159165 of 193106 of 198167 of 196166 of 200158 of 18444 of 177No standingNo standing
Rwanda35 of 18662 of 16560 of 183158 of 182128 of 17783 of 198125 of 176100 of 19881 of 194140 of 159135 of 193153 of 198168 of 196164 of 200151 of 184No standingNo standingNo standing
Uganda18 of 1863 of 165108 of 18383 of 182148 of 177104 of 198122 of 176No standing141 of 194144 of 159145 of 193155 of 198172 of 196159 of 200157 of 184No standingNo standingNo standing
Malawi22 of 18658 of 165125 of 183140 of 18272 of 177146 of 198161 of 176141 of 198118 of 194150 of 159160 of 19388 of 198159 of 196182 of 200124 of 184No standingNo standingNo standing
Zambia61 of 18663 of 165103 of 183163 of 18299 of 17794 of 198140 of 176144 of 198113 of 194158 of 159143 of 193117 of 198142 of 196174 of 200127 of 184No standingNo standingNo standing
Tanzania50 of 18698 of 165115 of 18329 of 182100 of 17763 of 198141 of 176169 of 19895 of 194148 of 159169 of 193149 of 198173 of 196169 of 200149 of 184139 of 177No standingNo standing
Ethiopia52 of 186No standing127 of 183116 of 182155 of 17787 of 198148 of 176178 of 198144 of 194107 of 159172 of 193151 of 198174 of 196173 of 200145 of 184No standingNo standingNo standing
Djibouti30 of 18675 of 165110 of 183173 of 182128 of 177163 of 198135 of 176No standing159 of 194135 of 159179 of 193171 of 198163 of 196170 of 200135 of 184125 of 177No standingNo standing
Mozambique29 of 18667 of 16597 of 18366 of 182150 of 177165 of 198165 of 176139 of 198150 of 194159 of 159186 of 193162 of 198165 of 196189 of 200178 of 184126 of 177No standingNo standing
Comoros41 of 186No standing144 of 183133 of 182152 of 177176 of 198134 of 176180 of 198174 of 19498 of 15999 of 193142 of 198168 of 196152 of 200144 of 184172 of 177No standingNo standing
Madagascar43 of 18698 of 165100 of 18399 of 182100 of 177164 of 198171 of 176158 of 198169 of 194142 of 159190 of 193144 of 198182 of 196186 of 200168 of 184149 of 177No standingNo standing
Burundi38 of 18628 of 165142 of 18371 of 182147 of 177149 of 198157 of 176193 of 198185 of 194146 of 159159 of 193186 of 198182 of 196186 of 200150 of 184No standingNo standingNo standing
Zimbabwe130 of 18689 of 16586 of 183102 of 182126 of 177138 of 198143 of 176190 of 198162 of 194155 of 159144 of 193167 of 198161 of 196181 of 200176 of 184168 of 177No standingNo standing
Eritrea15 of 186127 of 165165 of 183117 of 182126 of 177190 of 198No standing194 of 198191 of 194No standing162 of 193198 of 198181 of 196152 of 200179 of 184177 of 177No standingNo standing
Somalia26 of 18697 of 165168 of 183180 of 182170 of 177185 of 198176 of 176197 of 198180 of 194No standing193 of 193182 of 198194 of 196199 of 200184 of 184159 of 177No standingNo standing
South Sudan9 of 186154 of 165151 of 183No standing173 of 177197 of 198No standing198 of 198190 of 194156 of 159183 of 193191 of 198196 of 196200 of 200174 of 184No standingNo standingNo standing
SomalilandNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standing122 of 198No standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standingNo standing
Region median38th of 18675th of 165108th of 183116th of 182126th of 177138th of 198140th of 176158th of 198144th of 194142nd of 159160th of 193151st of 198168th of 196170th of 200150th of 184149th of 177——
Among sub-regions5th of 2111th of 2115th of 2115th of 2116th of 2018th of 2219th of 2120th of 2220th of 2220th of 2120th of 2221st of 2221st of 2221st of 2222nd of 2222nd of 22——

Columns run from the topic where Eastern Africa places best among sub-regions to the one where it places lowest. A region’s median on a topic needs at least two members with a standing; a hatched cell has no standing.

06In numbers

Eastern Africa in 6 numbers

Each line is every country in the world at its published value; Eastern Africa’s countries are the red ticks, and the dashed line is the world median. There is no regional average: a region has countries, not a life expectancy of its own.

All statistics

  • Population

    people · log scale

    UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · 222 countries · no better end

    No reading: Somaliland

    SeychellesEthiopia496world median 6,541,4131,438,069,596

  • Land area

    km²

    FAO · 2024 · 221 countries · no better end

    No reading: Somaliland

    SeychellesEthiopia0.4world median 87,58916,376,870

  • GDP per person

    international $, PPP · log scale

    World Bank Group · 2025 · 185 countries · higher is better

    No reading: Eritrea, Somaliland, South Sudan

    BurundiSeychelles1,067world median 17,265139,593

  • Life expectancy

    years at birth

    UN DESA Population Division · 2023 · 222 countries · higher is better

    No reading: Somaliland

    South SudanMauritius54.46world median 74.6386.37

  • Human development

    HDI, 0–1

    UNDP Human Development Report Office · 2023 · 193 countries · higher is better

    No reading: Somaliland

    South SudanSeychelles0.388world median 0.7620.972

  • Unemployment

    % of the labour force

    ILO · 2025 · 182 countries · lower is better

    No reading: Seychelles, Somaliland, South Sudan

    BurundiDjibouti0.13world median 5.08434.2
Every value for Eastern Africa’s countries
CountryPopulation 2023Land area 2024GDP per person 2025Life expectancy 2023Human development 2023Unemployment 2025
Burundi13,689,450rank 7825,680rank 1441,067rank 18563.65rank 2010.439rank 1870.922rank 178
Comoros850,387rank 1631,870rank 1743,622rank 16166.78rank 1830.603rank 1523.819rank 117
Djibouti1,152,944rank 16123,180rank 1477,223rank 13765.99rank 1900.513rank 17526.02rank 3
Eritrea3,470,390rank 132120,800rank 97—68.62rank 1660.503rank 1785.978rank 73
Ethiopia128,691,692rank 111,122,135rank 253,095rank 16767.31rank 1770.497rank 1803.323rank 130
Kenya55,339,003rank 26580,880rank 455,995rank 14263.65rank 2020.628rank 1435.449rank 82
Madagascar31,195,932rank 49581,800rank 441,668rank 17963.63rank 2030.487rank 1833.041rank 141
Malawi21,104,482rank 6294,280rank 1071,623rank 18167.35rank 1750.517rank 1725.072rank 94
Mauritius1,273,588rank 1592,000rank 17328,770rank 6574.93rank 1100.806rank 735.635rank 77
Mozambique33,635,160rank 47786,380rank 341,451rank 18263.61rank 2040.493rank 1826.628rank 62
Rwanda13,954,471rank 7723,763rank 1463,559rank 16267.79rank 1710.578rank 15911.36rank 29
Seychelles127,951rank 188457rank 19030,639rank 6172.86rank 1290.848rank 54—
Somalia18,358,615rank 68627,340rank 421,404rank 18358.82rank 2170.404rank 19218.95rank 8
South Sudan11,483,374rank 83631,930rank 41—57.62rank 2180.388rank 193—
Tanzania66,617,606rank 22884,000rank 313,821rank 15967rank 1800.555rank 1651.572rank 171
Uganda48,656,601rank 31200,520rank 852,980rank 16968.25rank 1700.582rank 1572.746rank 152
Zambia20,723,965rank 63743,390rank 373,742rank 16066.35rank 1850.595rank 1545.918rank 75
Zimbabwe16,340,822rank 74386,850rank 615,529rank 14562.77rank 2050.598rank 1539.293rank 38

07In records

Eastern Africa in records

The member at the extreme of each statistic, read from its newest edition. Where two members share the top, no record is named.

08Latest editions

Who rose and fell in the published ranks

The moves of Eastern Africa’s countries between each report’s two newest editions, in the publisher’s own ranks. A report whose field changed by more than 5% is left out.

Ranks as published by UNDP Human Development Report Office in the Human Development Index: reference years 2022 (192 countries ranked) → 2023 (193 ranked), both from its 2025 report.

Improved most

rank before → after
  1. Seychelles56 → 54+2
  2. Mauritius75 → 73+2
  3. Rwanda160 → 159+1

Declined most

rank before → after
  1. South Sudan191 → 193−2
  2. Comoros151 → 152−1
Every country in the Human Development Index

09In context

Across the border

The countries outside Eastern Africa that share a land border with one of its members, with their world positions, and the sub-regions they belong to. Land borders only, as drawn on the map.

Northern Africa

The neighbouring sub-regions

10Keep reading

Explore further

All regions

The rest of Africa

11Method

Questions, method and sources

Which countries are in Eastern Africa?

19 countries and territories: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification. Somaliland is not listed by M49. This site places it here by geography, and listing it takes no position on its status.

Which country in Eastern Africa is placed highest?

Mauritius, placed 45th of 183 in the Country Index 2026. South Sudan is placed lowest, 183rd. 18 of the region’s 19 countries and territories are placed; the rest hold standings on too few topics.

How does Eastern Africa compare with other regions?

Half of its 18 placed countries sit at or above 153rd of 183, which places it 21st of 22 sub-regions. The median across Africa is 148th. The middle of the whole field is 91st. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

How many people live in Eastern Africa?

486,666,433 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for 18 of its 19 countries and territories. No figure is published for Somaliland.

What is the largest country in Eastern Africa?

By land area, Ethiopia: 1,122,135 square kilometres (2024). By population, Ethiopia: 128,691,692 people (2023).

How a region’s figure is made
  1. Membership. Countries belong to regions by the United Nations’ M49 classification; each country declares its sub-region, and a continent is the sum of its sub-regions.
  2. Positions. Each country’s position is its Country Index 2026 result, unchanged. This page slices the world ranking by place; it does not re-rank anyone.
  3. The median. A region’s figure is the median of its placed countries’ positions: half sit at or above it, half below. With an even number of placed countries it takes the better of the two middle positions, since there is no country at a half place. Countries the index does not place are named, never counted in.
  4. A place among peers. Continents are compared with continents and sub-regions with sub-regions, never a part with the whole that contains it; regions sharing a median share a place. Nothing is weighted by population or size, and population and land area are the only figures ever added up.

Where the regions come from

United Nations Statistics Division, Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). M49’s middle level (Sub-Saharan Africa; Latin America and the Caribbean) is left out, so every sub-region sits directly under its continent. Kosovo, Northern Cyprus and Somaliland are not in M49 and are placed by geography.

Where the positions come from

Every position is a country’s result in the Country Index 2026 or one of its topics, unchanged. The population and land-area figures are the UN DESA Population Division’s and the FAO’s, added up and shown with their year; every other statistic names its publisher beside its numbers.

Photographs

Each country’s own banner from its profile: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.

Cite this page

Nations Inquiry (2026). Eastern Africa: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/eastern-africa

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