Country explorer: Eswatini
EXPERIMENTAL
2024
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Overview
Eswatini is a landlocked, lower-middle-income country in Africa with a small population. Its economy has grown stably in recent decades, and is based on agriculture, manufacturing and services.
Eswatini hosts the reed dance ceremony annually, showcasing the country's cultural heritage.
Economy
Eswatini's economic indicators reflect a consistent struggle with relatively high inflation rates and unemployment, remains comparable to its regional peers, yet distinctive in its challenges around gradually increasing GDP per capita amidst elevated poverty levels affecting large segments of its population.
Demographics
Eswatini has seen notable demographic changes characterized by a declining net migration rate and fertility rate, alongside improving life expectancy, reflecting broader trends of declining population growth and health advances common among its lower-middle-income peers, yet distinctively facing more pronounced challenges in reversing net population outflows.
Basic needs
Over the past twenty years, Eswatini has demonstrated gradual yet significant progress in basic needs, evident by increased access to clean cooking fuels from 24.6% to 58.1%, and electricity from 20.2% to over 79.7%, though it still lags behind regional leaders, showcasing a blend of shared challenges and distinctive advancements in improving living standards within the Southern African context.
Human development
Eswatini has experienced significant improvements in human development indicators such as increased educational attainment and literacy rates, improved child mortality conditions, and a steadily rising Human Development Index, reflecting broader societal and health advancements similar to those observed in its regional peers.
Environment & energy
Eswatini has seen a steady increase in its forest area, contrasted by a decline in per capita CO₂ emissions and renewable internal freshwater resources, alongside a gradual growth in electricity production from bioenergy, showcasing its efforts towards environmental sustainability and a unique shift towards renewable energy use compared to some of its regional peers.
Technology & innovation
Eswatini has seen significant strides in technology and innovation, reflected by a remarkable increase in internet usage among the population, a steady growth in mobile phone subscriptions, yet limited data on research and development spending and scientific publications, hinting at a digital growth trajectory that aligns with regional trends but shows room for improvement in research intensity compared to peers.
Culture & society
Eswatini has experienced societal transformations reflected in gradually improving self-reported life satisfaction and decreasing gender inequality, though it still faces challenges such as a high age dependency ratio, suggesting a distinctive struggle with balancing growth in youth and elderly populations compared to some of its peers.
Governance
Eswatini has shown a stagnation or slight decline in governance indicators, such as rule of law and political civil liberties, contrasting with some of its peers who have seen improvements, while its press freedom and corruption perception scores indicate ongoing challenges similar to many lower-middle-income countries.