South Africa ranks 75th globally in the 2015 Prosperity Index\u201a having risen by six places from last year. This is\u201a however\u201a eight places down from the country\u2019s ranking seven years ago.<\/p>\n
In the three years from 2009 to 2011\u201a South Africa was relatively stable on the rankings being placed 67th\u201a 66th and 69th. SA\u2019s ranking then slipped from 2012-2014 to 74th\u201a 77th and 81st.<\/p>\n
The index showed South Africa’s best performance this year is in the Entrepreneurship & Opportunity sub-index\u201a where it ranks 37th in 2015.<\/p>\n
South Africa’s lowest rank this year is in the Safety & Security sub-index\u201a where it ranks 112th.<\/p>\n
In the sub-Saharan region\u201a Botswana\u201a Namibia\u201a Zambia\u201a and Nigeria are growing less prosperous\u201a according to the international index\u201a which defines prosperity by measuring a country\u2019s economic success and its wellbeing.<\/p>\n
The annual index\u201a by the Legatum Institute\u201a an international think tank based in London\u201a ranks 142 countries across eight categories: the Economy\u201a Entrepreneurship & Opportunity; Governance; Education; Health; Safety & Security; Personal Freedom; and Social Capital.<\/p>\n
In 2015\u201a the index reveals that Botswana has fallen 17 places\u201a Namibia 26 places and Zambia 15 places down the Economy sub-index since last year. As a result these countries are less prosperous.<\/p>\n
The end of the commodities boom has left people in the resource-exporting countries of sub-Saharan Africa increasingly dissatisfied with their standards of living:<\/p>\n
Rising up the Index are diversified economies such as Ethiopia.<\/p>\n
Ethiopia has risen seven places up the Prosperity Index since 2012. The country has also risen eight places up the Economy sub-index since last year.<\/p>\n
Ethiopia has seen a surge in investment\u2014foreign direct investment has grown by over 200% and is now 2% of GDP.<\/p>\n
Other diversified economies have also performed well. Togo is up seven places in the Prosperity Index since last year and has also risen seven places in the Economy sub-index.<\/p>\n
Top 5 in Sub-Saharan Africa<\/p>\n
| #<\/th>\n | Country<\/th>\n | Index rank<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1<\/td>\n | South Africa<\/td>\n | 75th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2<\/td>\n | Botswana<\/td>\n | 77th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3<\/td>\n | Namibia<\/td>\n | 94th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4<\/td>\n | Senegal<\/td>\n | 100th<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5<\/td>\n | Rwanda<\/td>\n | 101st<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Bottom 5 in Sub-Saharan Africa<\/p>\n \n
|