According to the United States Think-Tank Atlantic Council, Sierra Leone, Rwanda, and Ethiopia have experienced remarkable changes in their scores in a global ranking of free and prosperous countries from 1995 to 2022.
These nations, which have endured the longest and most devastating civil wars in African history, are now witnessing substantial advancements in their freedom index.
"The 2023 Freedom and Prosperity Index" focuses on six key social indicators of prosperity: income, health, education, environment, minority rights, and inequality. Among the three countries mentioned, Sierra Leone and Rwanda have made the most significant progress in terms of their freedom scores, as indicated by the index.
Sierra Leone, ranking 84th globally, has seen a remarkable increase of 25 points in its freedom rankings. Similarly, Rwanda, ranked 109th, has improved its freedom score from 33.4 in 1995 to 53.5 in 2022.
The index recognizes that countries with higher scores in the freedom index also tend to achieve higher levels of prosperity. The report states, "In all regions, countries that are free tend to also be prosperous."
These notable advancements highlight the remarkable recovery of these countries from their troubled pasts and have contributed to Africa's overall improvement in the rate of prosperity, which surpasses the global average.
The author of the report emphasizes that Sub-Saharan Africa is the region where prosperity has grown at the fastest rate.
Africa's increasing prosperity can be attributed to improvements in the environment and health sectors, which have witnessed significant score increases of 25.7 and 15 points respectively.
These positive developments are indicative of the sustained growth in economic freedoms and point towards promising prospects for Africa's future growth story.