The 5 most powerful African countries in 2020

Egypt retains position as the most powerful African nation in 2020
The 2020 Best Countries ranking analyses the world’s most powerful countries - those that consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns.
Nigeria was not ranked in the 2020 powerful nations list.

Egypt has retained its position as the most powerful nation in Africa for 2020, according to a report by US News and World Report.

The report analysed the world’s most powerful countries - those that consistently dominate news headlines, preoccupy policymakers and shape global economic patterns. “Their foreign policies and military budgets are tracked religiously. When they pledge, at least some in the international community trust they will keep it,” usnews.com said.

Egypt military Egypt military Pulse Nigeria

The 2020 Best Countries ranking was conducted in partnership with BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. The survey asked more than 20,000 people from four regions to associate 73 countries with specific attributes.

The report excluded Nigeria for the 2020 list.

In a feedback note to Business Insider SSA, USNews said the 73 countries in the 2020 Best Countries rankings are the only countries "whose achievements reached four reputable benchmarks: the World Bank's top 100 countries in terms of gross domestic product in 2017, the top 100 countries in terms of foreign direct investment inflows in 2017 based on World Bank data, the top 150 countries in the UN's Human Development Index based on the 2017 report and the top 100 countries in terms of international tourism receipts in 2017 based on World Bank data."

The powerful countries in Africa right now are: