Angola profile

Demography and Health

Angola’s population was about 37.9 million in 2024, making it a relatively large and youthful country that sits around the 40th position globally by population. The country exhibits a high birth rate of 37.6 births per 1,000 people in 2023, which points to a young demographic structure with substantial potential for future labor-force growth, but also places sustained pressure on education systems, job creation, and health services. Life expectancy at birth is 64.6 years (2023), and the crude death rate is 6.92 per 1,000 people (2023), indicating ongoing health and demographic transitions that influence population dynamics and long-term development. The under-5 mortality rate is 64 per 1,000 live births (2023), signaling persistent child-health challenges despite improvements in some sectors, which in turn affects human-capital development and long-run productivity. The prevalence of undernourishment affects 23.2% of the population (2022), underscoring ongoing food-security issues that can constrain cognitive and physical development in children and complicate human-capital investments. Unemployment is reported at 14.1% (2022), suggesting a fragile labor market that complicates the absorption of a growing workforce into formal employment. Internet access stands at 44.8% of the population (2023), reflecting rising digital connectivity but also highlighting a digital divide that can influence education, health information access, and economic opportunity. Net migration in 2024 is negative, indicating outward movement of people, which can affect labor supply, skill retention, and demographic dynamics. Health financing appears constrained: current health expenditure is 2.93% of GDP (2022), while domestic general government health expenditure per capita, PPP, is 112 international dollars (2022), implying limited public funding for health relative to needs. The density of physicians is 0.244 per 1,000 people (2022), suggesting a relatively thin health workforce, which can limit access to care and the quality of health services, especially in rural and underserved areas. Collectively, these indicators depict a country with a growing, youthful population and notable health and nutrition challenges that require intensified investment in health systems, nutrition programs, education, and job creation to convert demographic potential into inclusive development.

Economy

Angola faces a low-to-middle income profile with GDP per capita at about 2,122 current US$ in 2024, while GDP per capita in Purchasing Power Parity terms stands at 8,348 international US$, signaling substantial overall wealth from natural resources but a low domestic income level when measured by current prices. Inflation is very high at 28.2% in 2024, revealing macroeconomic instability that erodes purchasing power, complicates business planning, and can deter investment if not addressed by credible stabilization measures. The economy shows a trade-off between openness and vulnerability: exports of goods and services account for 37.9% of GDP in 2024, and imports represent 24.4% of GDP, indicating a considerable external orientation but also a reliance on external inputs for consumption and investment. The current account balance is a positive 7.85% of GDP in 2024, suggesting that export earnings—in part from commodity sectors—outpace imports and other payments, contributing to a reserve buffer but potentially masking sector-specific risks. Foreign direct investment net inflows are negative (-0.169% of GDP in 2024), pointing to limited net inflows of foreign capital, which can hamper technology transfer, productivity gains, and long-run growth. High-technology exports amount to 89.9 million USD in 2023, indicating a nascent but growing capability in knowledge-intensive sectors that could be leveraged through better investment climates and human-capital development. The unemployment rate of 14.1% (2022) signals a substantial portion of the workforce outside formal employment, implying underutilized human capital and the need for job-rich growth strategies. Taken together, these figures portray an economy rich in resources yet facing high inflation, modest per-capita income, and constraints on investment and diversification, underscoring the urgency of macro stabilization, structural reform, and reforms to broaden non-oil growth drivers.

Trade and Investment

Angola’s external orientation includes exports of goods and services comprising 37.9% of GDP in 2024 and imports at 24.4% of GDP, illustrating a meaningful engagement with global markets and a dependency on external inputs for consumption and investment. The current account balance of 7.85% of GDP (2024) reinforces the view of a positive external position, likely supported by commodity exports; this can provide a cushion against certain shocks but may also intensify vulnerability to commodity-price cycles. Foreign direct investment net inflows are negative at -0.169% of GDP (2024), signaling limited net foreign capital inflows and potential capital outflow pressures that could constrain productivity-enhancing investment, technology transfer, and diversification efforts. High-technology exports reach 89.9 million USD (2023), indicating a small but growing portion of export activity linked to advanced manufacturing or knowledge-based goods, which offers a potential channel for upgrading the economy if complemented by targeted investment in innovation and human capital. The Logistics Performance Index score of 2.1 (2022) on a 1–5 scale suggests room for improvement in trade-related infrastructure such as ports, roads, and customs efficiency, which can raise the cost and speed of trade. Internet penetration at 44.8% (2023) points to a digital-enabled potential for trade, e-commerce, and service exports, though access remains uneven across the population. Regulatory and governance constraints—reflected in suboptimal regulatory quality and rule-of-law indicators—can hinder investment decisions and the efficiency of cross-border activities, underscoring the need for institutional reforms to unlock private-sector-led growth and diversify export capabilities beyond oil.

Governance and Institutions

Angola’s governance indicators for 2023 reveal a challenging institutional environment: Political Stability and Absence of Violence/Terrorism at -0.342, Regulatory Quality at -0.761, Rule of Law at -1.1, Control of Corruption at -0.61, and Government Effectiveness at -1.01. These negative values indicate weak governance performance relative to global benchmarks, with pronounced concerns around rule of law, policy rigidity, and corruption risks. Such governance weaknesses can deter investment, impede contract enforcement, and slow the implementation of reforms aimed at diversifying the economy and improving public service delivery. Weak regulatory quality and rule of law also raise the cost of doing business, complicate business formation, and undermine trust in institutions, which in turn can restrict private-sector growth and innovation. Improvement in these areas—through transparent policymaking, judiciary independence, and stronger anticorruption measures—would support a more stable macroeconomic environment, better public-finance management, and a more attractive climate for both domestic and foreign investment. In addition, stronger governance is a foundational input for sustainable health, education, and infrastructure outcomes, and is likely a prerequisite for achieving broad-based development gains in Angola’s evolving economy.

Infrastructure and Technology

Angola displays a mixed profile in infrastructure and technology. Internet usage is 44.8% of the population in 2023, indicating a sizable digital audience but leaving a large share of people unconnected, which limits access to e-government services, online education, and digital commerce. High-technology exports total 89.9 million USD in 2023, signaling presence of some advanced-capacity activities but a relatively small scale that points to vertical integration and export diversification opportunities if supported by investment in human capital and innovation ecosystems. The Logistics Performance Index for quality of trade and transport-related infrastructure stands at 2.1 in 2022, suggesting that logistics bottlenecks—such as port efficiency, road quality, and customs procedures—pose costs and delays for traders and could impede competitiveness. The physician density is 0.244 per 1,000 people (2022), underscoring a relatively thin health workforce that can constrain not only health outcomes but also the broader productivity of the economy. On the energy side, renewable energy accounts for 52.9% of total final energy consumption (2021), indicating a meaningful move toward cleaner energy sources that can enhance energy security and resilience, though the overall energy mix and capacity still require continued investments to meet growing demand. The freshwater-withdrawal indicator shows a water-stress level of 1.87 (2021), highlighting vulnerability to water scarcity in certain regions and sectors. Overall, Angola’s infrastructure and technology landscape shows meaningful progress in digital reach and renewable energy, but persistent constraints in logistics, health capacity, and broader-tech manufacturing point to areas where targeted investments and reforms could unlock higher productivity and more inclusive growth.

Environment and Sustainability

Environmentally, Angola displays a notable share of renewables in its energy mix, with renewable energy consumption making up 52.9% of total final energy consumption in 2021, signaling a meaningful shift toward cleaner sources and potential resilience against fossil-fuel price shocks. Yet the country faces environmental and resource-management challenges, including water stress reflected in a freshwater withdrawal level of 1.87 relative to available resources (2021), indicating vulnerability to droughts and competing demands from agriculture, industry, and households. Per-capita greenhouse gas emissions stand at 1.84 tCO2e in 2023 (excluding LULUCF), which is relatively modest by global standards but still represents a contribution to climate change that will require ongoing mitigation and adaptation efforts, especially if fossil-fuel production remains central to the economy. The prevalence of undernourishment at 23.2% (2022) intersects with environmental pressures and land-use decisions, underscoring the importance of sustainable agriculture, land stewardship, and climate-smart policies to secure food security. Taken together, these indicators portray Angola as a country with meaningful renewable-energy potential and ongoing environmental vulnerabilities that demand careful planning, investment in resilient infrastructure, and policies that align economic growth with social and environmental objectives to safeguard long-term well-being and development.