REGIONAL ECONOMY IN NUMBERS

At 4,5%, real GDP growth in sub-Saharan Africa will be slower this year than in 2014, according to the IMF’s regional economic outlook. But it’s still among the fastest-growing

regions in the world.

6%-6,5% is the region’s expected average growth rate

in 2015-2016, excluding SA. 1,4% is the IMF’s 2015 growth forecast for SA, slowing to just 1,3% in 2016 compared to 2%

and 2,1% previously. 50% is the average decline in

the prices of many commodities exported by the region over the past two years. 44% is the drop in the iron ore

price since last June, natural gas has fallen by 41%, coal and platinum both by 22%, cotton

21% and copper 7,5%. 2,25 percentage points have been shaved off the IMF’s 7% average growth outlook for the region’s oil exporters for

2015-2016.

5% is the IMF’s new 2015 growth forecast for Nigeria — the region’s largest economy and oil exporter. Angola is expected to slow to about 4,25% from 5,5% previously. 6,75% growth is expected in 2015 from low-income and fragile countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Mozambique, in line with

earlier expectations. 2,5 percentage points of GDP is the average rise in government

debt expected across the region, mainly as a result of the

commodity price shock.