SONNY SERITE
The London-based Legatum Institute has released its 2018 annual Prosperity Index which measures and tracks prosperity in 149 countries. Officially released on 28 November, the Prosperity Index contains some interesting analysis on Botswana and the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.
The index placed Botswana at 83rd out of 149 Global Prosperity Index countries and 4th out of 40 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Botswana was stronger on the pillar of Governance but faired weaker in Safety and Security indices. Botswana was scored high in Illness and Risk Factors Prevalence coming out 13th out of 149 Global Prosperity Index Countries, Government Integrity 28th out of 149, Government Performance 30th out of 149 and Social Tolerance 35th out of 149.
The county however did not do well in other indexes such as Personal Safety where it scored 141 out of 149, Standard of Living 134 out of 149, Environmental Quality 122 out of 149, and Security of Living Conditions 118 out of 149.
Speaking to the Botswana Gazette from London, Legatum Institute Policy Director Stephen Brien said as the institution they were particularly worried about the decline in personal freedoms in Botswana. The personal freedoms indexes included Basic Legal Right, Individual Freedoms and Social Tolerance which have seen a decline in the last ten years.
He said this is the 11th year of the Index and they are seeing rising levels of global prosperity, but acute challenges relating to insecurity.
The Legatum Institute is a London-based think-tank with a global vision: to see all people lifted out of poverty. Its mission is to create the pathways from poverty to prosperity, by fostering Open Economies, Inclusive Societies and Empowered People.
They carry out their mandate in three ways: Centre for Metrics which creates indices and datasets to measure and explain how poverty and prosperity are changing, Research Programmes which analyse the many complex drivers of poverty and prosperity at the local, national and global level and Practical Programmes which identify the actions required to enable transformational change.
The Legatum Institute publishes the annual Legatum Prosperity Index which measures prosperity across countries by applying a combination of material wealth and life satisfaction factors. The report has been in continuous publication since its launch in 2007 and has expanded its coverage from 50 countries to 149.