– Mozambique’s score is below the continental and SADC averages
– Security and Rule of Law is the lowest-scoring category
By MOZTIMES
Maputo (MOZTIMES) – Mozambique has slipped to 29th place in the 2026 Ibrahim Index of African Governance (IIAG), which assesses governance across 54 African countries.
Mozambique’s score for Overall Governance is 48.8 out of 100, below the African average of 50.1 and further below the Southern African regional average of 56.1.
Among the categories assessed, Mozambique’s lowest score is in Security and Rule of Law (42.9), followed by Participation, Rights and Inclusion (48.2). Its strongest performances, although still modest, are in Foundations for Economic Opportunity (53.5) and Human Development (50.8). The maximum possible score in each category is 100.
Among Southern African Development Community countries, Mauritius tops the ranking, followed by Botswana, South Africa and Namibia.
Countries that have improved their positions in the index include Zambia (15th), Lesotho (16th) and Malawi (20th).
Covering the period from 2016 to 2025, the index shows that governance in Africa has generally improved despite successive global shocks, although progress remains uneven and fragile.
The report identifies infrastructure as the area that has improved most across the continent during the period under review.
According to the report, 52 countries recorded improvements in infrastructure, while 34 made progress in education and 40 in healthcare.
However, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation has warned that these gains are threatened by deterioration in security, the rule of law and political participation. (MT)
