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Sub-region of Africa · Country Index 2026

Middle Africa

How are the countries of Middle Africa doing?

Half of Middle Africa’s 9 placed countries sit at or above 161st of 178 in the Country Index 2026, which places the region 21st of 21 sub-regions. São Tomé and Príncipe is placed highest, 104th; Chad lowest, 175th. None reaches the world’s top fifth.

Middle AfricaUN M49 017

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

161st

median position of 178 · 21st of 21 sub-regions

Africa →median 143rd

01Who is in it

The countries of Middle 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 Middle Africa

The continent's centre, from Chad down through the Congo basin to Angola.

Middle Africa spans the centre of the continent, from the Sahara in northern Chad through the basin of the Congo River — home to the second-largest tropical rainforest on Earth — to the high plateaus of Angola. It includes the island state of São Tomé and Príncipe and Equatorial Guinea’s island of Bioko in the Gulf of Guinea.

Bantu-speaking peoples spread across much of the region over thousands of years, and the Kongo kingdom was among the powerful states on its Atlantic coast. It was colonised mainly by France, Belgium and Portugal, and its countries became independent between 1960 and 1975. The region holds great mineral wealth and a large share of Africa’s forests and fresh water.

03Where

Middle 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: 1st178thMember, not placedAcross the border, another regionNot a country this site tracks

04Country Index 2026

Where Middle Africa’s countries place

Best placed first. Every position is a place in the whole world ranking of 178, 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
Middle Africa’s 9 placed countries by their Country Index 2026 position, best placed first.
In regionCountryIn the world1st178th
1São Tomé and Príncipe104 / 178between 89th and 112th if any one key were dropped · standings on 14 of 16 topics
2Gabon131 / 178between 125th and 137th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
3Cameroon145 / 178between 142nd and 151st if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
4Angola155 / 178between 151st and 160th if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
5Republic of the Congo161 / 178between 155th and 166th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
6Equatorial Guinea165 / 178between 161st and 168th if any one key were dropped · standings on 13 of 16 topics
7DR Congo167 / 178between 165th and 172nd if any one key were dropped · standings on 16 of 16 topics
8Central African Republic171 / 178between 168th and 177th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics
9Chad175 / 178between 173rd and 178th if any one key were dropped · standings on 15 of 16 topics

Middle Africa among the 21 sub-regions with a median

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

  1. Northern Europe6thPlaced countries run from Denmark 2nd to Latvia 25th.
  2. Western Europe10thPlaced countries run from Switzerland 1st to France 19th.
  3. Australia and New Zealand17thPlaced countries run from New Zealand 17th to Australia 24th.
  4. Northern America17thPlaced countries run from Canada 17th to United States 37th.
  5. Eastern Asia23rdPlaced countries run from South Korea 14th to Mongolia 73rd.
  6. Southern Europe32ndPlaced countries run from Slovenia 12th to Bosnia and Herzegovina 63rd.
  7. Eastern Europe39thPlaced countries run from Czechia 11th to Russia 68th.
  8. Polynesia70thPlaced countries run from Samoa 70th to Tonga 85th.
  9. South America74thPlaced countries run from Uruguay 34th to Venezuela 137th.
  10. Caribbean78thPlaced countries run from Barbados 63rd to Haiti 169th.
  11. Central America81stPlaced countries run from Costa Rica 40th to Nicaragua 134th.
  12. Western Asia93rdPlaced countries run from Cyprus 35th to Yemen 176th.
  13. South-eastern Asia95thPlaced countries run from Singapore 26th to Myanmar 153rd.
  14. Central Asia100thPlaced countries run from Kazakhstan 60th to Turkmenistan 148th.
  15. Southern Asia100thPlaced countries run from Bhutan 44th to Afghanistan 172nd.
  16. Melanesia106thPlaced countries run from Fiji 62nd to Papua New Guinea 138th.
  17. Southern Africa116thPlaced countries run from South Africa 102nd to Eswatini 140th.
  18. Northern Africa127thPlaced countries run from Tunisia 107th to Libya 174th.
  19. Eastern Africa143rdPlaced countries run from Mauritius 46th to Somalia 177th.
  20. Western Africa144thPlaced countries run from Cabo Verde 74th to Guinea-Bissau 168th.
  21. Middle Africa161stPlaced countries run from São Tomé and Príncipe 104th to Chad 175th.
  22. Micronesia—
  23. Africa, the whole continent143rd
  24. The world’s midpoint88th
1st178thmedian

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 Middle Africa: Environment & Sustainability, 2nd of 21 sub-regions. Weakest: Risk & Resilience, 22nd of 22.

All topics
Middle Africa: each country’s position on each topic, with the region’s median and its place among sub-regions.
Environment & SustainabilityEnergyGender & EqualityEducation & KnowledgeMobility & TradePeace & SecurityPoverty & InequalityWork & LabourDevelopment & Human CapitalDigital & TechnologyEconomy & InnovationFood & AgricultureDemocracy & Civil LibertiesGovernance & InstitutionsHealth & WellbeingRisk & ResilienceMoney & Public FinancePeople & Population
São Tomé and Príncipe19 of 181No standing52 of 18383 of 171No standing37 of 177126 of 159165 of 182136 of 196185 of 198149 of 17692 of 17569 of 198127 of 194109 of 20056 of 192No standingNo standing
Gabon30 of 181107 of 19374 of 183137 of 171122 of 14770 of 17797 of 159177 of 182140 of 196128 of 198110 of 176154 of 175130 of 198160 of 194140 of 200109 of 192No standingNo standing
Cameroon11 of 18180 of 193141 of 183136 of 171107 of 147145 of 177140 of 15997 of 182166 of 196111 of 198116 of 176143 of 175169 of 198160 of 194180 of 200167 of 192No standingNo standing
Angola7 of 18166 of 193125 of 183150 of 171129 of 147125 of 177153 of 159142 of 182157 of 196108 of 198145 of 176170 of 175152 of 198154 of 194183 of 200178 of 192No standingNo standing
Republic of the Congo13 of 181158 of 193146 of 183130 of 17176 of 147137 of 177No standing170 of 182153 of 196144 of 198142 of 176169 of 175165 of 198175 of 194156 of 200157 of 192No standingNo standing
Equatorial Guinea46 of 181139 of 193165 of 183No standingNo standing137 of 177113 of 159138 of 182156 of 196167 of 198153 of 176No standing182 of 198193 of 194192 of 20087 of 192No standingNo standing
DR Congo1 of 18163 of 193131 of 183154 of 171130 of 147144 of 177156 of 159137 of 182187 of 196163 of 198172 of 176164 of 175167 of 198182 of 194197 of 200184 of 192No standingNo standing
Central African Republic15 of 181No standing148 of 183169 of 17180 of 147163 of 177151 of 159149 of 182193 of 196191 of 198174 of 176147 of 175153 of 198176 of 194197 of 200171 of 192No standingNo standing
Chad25 of 181177 of 193154 of 183166 of 171No standing174 of 177126 of 159117 of 182194 of 196188 of 198175 of 176174 of 175162 of 198178 of 194195 of 200170 of 192No standingNo standing
Region median15th of 181107th of 193141st of 183137th of 171107th of 147137th of 177126th of 159142nd of 182157th of 196163rd of 198149th of 176154th of 175162nd of 198175th of 194183rd of 200167th of 192——
Among sub-regions2nd of 2114th of 2218th of 2119th of 2119th of 2119th of 2019th of 2119th of 2120th of 2220th of 2221st of 2121st of 2122nd of 2222nd of 2222nd of 2222nd of 22——

Columns run from the topic where Middle 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

Middle Africa in 6 numbers

Each line is every country in the world at its published value; Middle 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

    STPDR Congo496world median 6,541,4131,438,069,596

  • Land area

    km²

    FAO · 2024 · 221 countries · no better end

    STPDR Congo0.4world median 87,58916,376,870

  • GDP per person

    international $, PPP · log scale

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

    CAFGabon1,067world median 17,265139,593

  • Life expectancy

    years at birth

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

    ChadSTP54.46world median 74.6386.37

  • Human development

    HDI, 0–1

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

    CAFGabon0.388world median 0.7620.972

  • Unemployment

    % of the labour force

    ILO · 2025 · 182 countries · lower is better

    ChadGabon0.13world median 5.08434.2
Every value for Middle Africa’s countries
CountryPopulation 2023Land area 2024GDP per person 2025Life expectancy 2023Human development 2023Unemployment 2025
Angola36,749,906rank 421,246,700rank 228,760rank 12764.62rank 1960.616rank 14814.11rank 17
Cameroon28,372,687rank 52472,710rank 524,946rank 15063.7rank 2000.588rank 1553.602rank 122
Central African Republic5,152,421rank 124622,980rank 431,123rank 18457.41rank 2190.414rank 1916.251rank 68
Chad19,319,064rank 661,259,200rank 212,481rank 17455.07rank 2210.416rank 1901.057rank 177
DR Congo105,789,731rank 152,267,050rank 111,641rank 18061.9rank 2100.522rank 1714.434rank 110
Equatorial Guinea1,847,549rank 15128,052rank 14013,786rank 10863.71rank 1990.674rank 1338.337rank 48
Gabon2,484,789rank 145257,670rank 7618,986rank 8868.34rank 1690.733rank 10820.15rank 5
Republic of the Congo6,182,885rank 113341,500rank 656,194rank 14165.77rank 1920.649rank 13819.88rank 6
São Tomé and Príncipe230,871rank 182960rank 1775,459rank 14669.72rank 1590.637rank 1419.132rank 40

07In records

Middle 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 Middle 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. Gabon111 → 108+3
  2. Cameroon156 → 155+1
  3. DR Congo172 → 171+1

Declined most

rank before → after
  1. Angola146 → 148−2
  2. Equatorial Guinea132 → 133−1
  3. Chad189 → 190−1
Every country in the Human Development Index

09In context

Across the border

The countries outside Middle 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

Southern Africa

Western Africa

The neighbouring sub-regions

10Keep reading

Explore further

All regions

The rest of Africa

11Method

Questions, method and sources

Which countries are in Middle Africa?

9 countries and territories: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, DR Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of the Congo and São Tomé and Príncipe. Membership follows the United Nations’ M49 classification.

Which country in Middle Africa is placed highest?

São Tomé and Príncipe, placed 104th of 178 in the Country Index 2026. Chad is placed lowest, 175th. 9 of the region’s 9 countries and territories are placed; the rest hold standings on too few topics.

How does Middle Africa compare with other regions?

Half of its 9 placed countries sit at or above 161st of 178, which places it 21st of 21 sub-regions. The median across Africa is 143rd. The middle of the whole field is 88th. Nothing is weighted by population or size.

How many people live in Middle Africa?

206,129,903 in 2023, the sum of the UN DESA Population Division’s figures for its 9 countries and territories.

What is the largest country in Middle Africa?

By land area, DR Congo: 2,267,050 square kilometres (2024). By population, DR Congo: 105,789,731 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). Middle Africa: countries, population and rankings, Country Index 2026. https://nationsinquiry.com/regions/middle-africa

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