2023 Edition

Background

Bantu-speaking people settled in the area now called Angola in 6th century A.D.; by the 10th century various Bantu groups had established kingdoms, of which Kongo became the most powerful. From the late 14th to the mid 19th century a Kingdom of Kongo stretched across central Africa from present-day northern Angola into the current Congo republics. It traded heavily with the Portuguese who, beginning in the 16th century, established coastal colonies and trading posts and introduced Christianity. Angola became a major hub of the transatlantic slave trade conducted by the Portuguese and other European powers - often in collaboration with local kingdoms including the Kongo. Estimates are that the Angola area may have lost as many as 4 million people as a result of the slave trade. The Kingdom of Kongo’s main rival was the Kingdom of Ndongo to its south, whose most famous leader was the 17th century diplomat to the Portuguese and later Queen, Nzingha Mbande, who successfully fought off Portuguese encroachment during her nearly 40-year reign. Smaller kingdoms, such as the Matamba and Ngoyo, often came under the control of the Kongo or Ndongo Kingdoms. During the Berlin Conference of 1884-85, Angola’s modern borders were set by Portugal and other European powers, but the Portuguese did not fully control large portions of the territory. Portugal gained control of the Kingdom of Kongo in 1888 when Kongo’s King Pedro V sought Portuguese military assistance in exchange for becoming a vassal. After a revolt in 1914, Portugal imposed direct rule over the colony and abolished the Kongo Kingdom. The Angolan National Revolution began in 1961 and in 1975, Angola won its independence when Portugal’s dictatorship fell, in part because of growing discontent over conflict in Angola and other colonies. Conflict between Angola’s multiple independence movements quickly emerged with the Popular Movement for Liberation of Angola (MPLA), led by Agostinho NETO, taking power and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA), led by Jonas SAVIMBI, emerging as its main competitor. After NETO’s death in 1979, Jose Eduardo DOS SANTOS, also of the MPLA, became president. Over time, the Angolan civil war escalated and became a major Cold War conflict with the MPLA supported by the Soviet Union and Cuba and UNITA by apartheid South Africa and the US. Up to 1.5 million lives may have been lost - and 4 million people displaced - during the more than a quarter century of fighting. SAVIMBI's death in 2002 ended UNITA's insurgency and cemented the MPLA's hold on power. DOS SANTOS did not seek reelection in 2017 and supported Joao LOURENCO’s successful bid to become president. LOURENCO was reelected in 2022. Angola scores low on human development indexes despite using its large oil reserves to rebuild since 2002. 

Area

land

1,246,700 sq km

total

1,246,700 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

about eight times the size of Georgia; slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Coastline

1,600 km

Elevation

highest point

Moco 2,620 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

1,112 m

Geographic coordinates

12 30 S, 18 30 E

Geography - note

the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Irrigated land

860 sq km (2014)

Land boundaries

border countries

Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,646 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province); Republic of the Congo 231 km; Namibia 1,427 km; Zambia 1,065 km

total

5,369 km

Land use

agricultural land

45.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)

forest

54.3% (2018 est.)

Location

Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo

Major aquifers

Congo Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rio Zambeze (Zambezi) (shared with Zambia [s], Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Rio Cubango (Okavango) river source (shared with Namibia and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau

Natural resources

petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium

Population distribution

most people live in the western half of the country; urban areas account for the highest concentrations of people, particularly the capital of Luanda as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau

Age structure

0-14 years

47.18% (male 8,503,242/female 8,473,889)

15-64 years

50.49% (male 8,730,015/female 9,435,581)

65 years and over

2.33% (2023 est.) (male 350,059/female 488,495)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.78 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.08 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

5.84 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.72 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

41.4 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Child marriage

men married by age 18

6% (2016 est.)

women married by age 15

7.9%

women married by age 18

30.3%

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

19% (2015/16)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

13.7% (2015/16)

Current health expenditure

2.9% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

55.7% (2023 est.)

Death rate

7.8 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Demographic profile

More than two decades after the end of Angola's 27-year civil war, the country still faces a variety of socioeconomic problems, including poverty, high maternal and child mortality, and illiteracy. Despite the country's rapid post-war economic growth based on oil production, about 30 percent of Angolans live below the poverty line and unemployment is widespread, especially among the large young-adult population. Only about 70% of the population is literate, and the rate drops to around 60% for women. The youthful population - about 48% are under the age of 15 as of 2022 - is expected to continue growing rapidly with a fertility rate of more than 5 children per woman and a low rate of contraceptive use. Fewer than half of women deliver their babies with the assistance of trained health care personnel, which contributes to Angola's high maternal mortality rate. Of the estimated 550,000 Angolans who fled their homeland during its civil war, most have returned home since 2002. In 2012, the UN assessed that conditions in Angola had been stable for several years and invoked a cessation of refugee status for Angolans. Following the cessation clause, some of those still in exile returned home voluntarily through UN repatriation programs, and others integrated into host countries.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5

potential support ratio

20.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

91.5

youth dependency ratio

86.5

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 36.5% of population

improved: total

total: 66.5% of population

improved: urban

urban: 81.3% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 63.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 33.5% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 18.7% of population

Education expenditures

2.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Ovimbundu 37%, Kimbundu 25%, Bakongo 13%, Mestico (mixed European and native African) 2%, European 1%, other 22%

Gross reproduction rate

2.84 (2023 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

51.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

62.4 deaths/1,000 live births

total

57.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Portuguese 71.2% (official), Umbundu 23%, Kikongo 8.2%, Kimbundu 7.8%, Chokwe 6.5%, Nhaneca 3.4%, Nganguela 3.1%, Fiote 2.4%, Kwanhama 2.3%, Muhumbi 2.1%, Luvale 1%, other 3.6%; note - data represent most widely spoken languages; shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

female

64.7 years

male

60.4 years

total population

62.5 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

62.4% (2015)

male

82.6%

total population

71.1%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2023)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

dengue fever, malaria

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

9.292 million LUANDA (capital), 959,000 Lubango, 905,000 Cabinda, 809,000 Benguela, 783,000 Malanje  (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

222 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

16.7 years

male

15.7 years

total

16.2 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

19.4 years (2015/16 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

adjective

Angolan

noun

Angolan(s)

Net migration rate

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.2% (2016)

Physicians density

0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

35,981,281 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

most people live in the western half of the country; urban areas account for the highest concentrations of people, particularly the capital of Luanda as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

3.34% (2023 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 41.1%, Protestant 38.1%, other 8.6%, none 12.3% (2014 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 30.3% of population

improved: total

total: 72.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 93.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 69.7% of population

unimproved: total

total: 27.3% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 6.3% of population

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.72 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.76 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.7% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

18 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Bengo, Benguela, Bie, Cabinda, Cuando Cubango, Cuanza-Norte, Cuanza-Sul, Cunene, Huambo, Huila, Luanda, Lunda-Norte, Lunda-Sul, Malanje, Moxico, Namibe, Uige, Zaire

Capital

daylight saving time

does not observe daylight savings time

etymology

originally named "Sao Paulo da Assuncao de Loanda" (Saint Paul of the Assumption of Loanda), which over time was shortened and corrupted to just Luanda

geographic coordinates

8 50 S, 13 13 E

name

Luanda

note

 

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Angola

dual citizenship recognized

no

residency requirement for naturalization

10 years

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or supported by at least one third of the National Assembly membership; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly subject to prior Constitutional Court review if requested by the president of the republic

history

previous 1975, 1992; latest passed by National Assembly 21 January 2010, adopted 5 February 2010

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Angola

conventional short form

Angola

etymology

name derived by the Portuguese from the title "ngola" held by kings of the Ndongo (Ndongo was a kingdom in what is now Angola)

former

People's Republic of Angola

local long form

Republica de Angola

local short form

Angola

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Tulinabo S. MUSHINGI (since 9 March 2022)

email address and website

Consularluanda@state.govhttps://ao.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Rua Houari Boumedienne, #32, Luanda

FAX

[244] (222) 64-1000

mailing address

2550 Luanda Place, Washington, DC 20521-2550

telephone

[244] (222) 64-1000

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2108 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009

chief of mission

Ambassador Agostinho de Carvalho dos Santos VAN-DÚNEM (since 30 June 2023)

consulate(s) general

Houston, New York

email address and website

info@angola.orghttps://angola.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 822-9049

telephone

[1] (202) 785-1156

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 26 September 2017); Vice President Esperanca Francisco DA COSTA (since 15 September 2022); note - the president is both chief of state and head of government

election results

Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (MPLA) elected president by then winning party following the 24 August 2022 general election

elections/appointments

the candidate of the winning party or coalition in the last legislative election becomes the president; president serves a 5-year term (eligible for a second consecutive or discontinuous term); last held on 24 August 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

head of government

President Joao Manuel Goncalves LOURENCO (since 15 September 2022); Vice President Esperanca Francisco DA COSTA (since 15 September 2022)

Flag description

two equal horizontal bands of red (top) and black with a centered yellow emblem consisting of a five-pointed star within half a cogwheel crossed by a machete (in the style of a hammer and sickle); red represents liberty and black the African continent; the symbols characterize workers and peasants

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

11 November 1975 (from Portugal)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CEMAC, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NAM, OAS (observer), OPEC, SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMISS, Union Latina, UNOOSA, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo (consists of the court president, vice president, and a minimum of 16 judges); Constitutional Court or Tribunal Constitucional (consists of 11 judges)

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court judges appointed by the president upon recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council, an 18-member body chaired by the president; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Court judges - 4 nominated by the president, 4 elected by National Assembly, 2 elected by Supreme National Council, 1 elected by competitive submission of curricula; judges serve single 7-year terms

subordinate courts

provincial and municipal courts

Legal system

civil legal system based on Portuguese civil law; no judicial review of legislation

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Assembleia Nacional (220 seats; members directly elected in a single national constituency and in multi-seat constituencies by closed list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - MPLA 51.1%, UNITA 43.9%, FNLA 1.1%, PHA 1%, PRS 1.1%, other 1.7%; seats by party - MPLA 124, UNITA 90, FNLA 2, PHA 2, PRS 2; composition - men 146, women 74, percent of women 33.6%

elections

last held on 24 August 2022 (next to be held in 2027)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Manuel Rui Alves MONTEIRO/Rui Alberto Vieira Dias MINGAO

name

"Angola Avante" (Forward Angola)

note

note: adopted 1975

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Mbanza-Kongo

total World Heritage Sites

1 (cultural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 11 November (1975)

National symbol(s)

Palanca Negra Gigante (giant black sable antelope); national colors: red, black, yellow

Political parties and leaders

Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola Electoral Coalition or CASA-CE [Manuel FERNANDES]Humanist Party of Angola or PHI [Florbela MALAQUIAS]National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA; note - party has two factions; one led by Lucas NGONDA; the other by Ngola KABANGUNational Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA [Adalberto Costa JUNIOR] (largest opposition party)Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA [Joao LOURENCO]; note- ruling party in power since 1975Social Renewal Party or PRS [Benedito DANIEL]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, pineapples, sugar cane, potatoes, citrus fruit, vegetables, cabbage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

48.6% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$17.244 billion (2019 est.)

revenues

$17.899 billion (2019 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

CCC (2020)

Moody's rating

Caa1 (2020)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

CCC+ (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

$5.137 billion (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$871.918 million (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$8.399 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$27.14 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$42.08 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

African oil leader and OPEC member; fairly stable currency; widespread poverty; emerging African finance and investment capital; systemic public corruption and lack of oversight; massive foreign direct investment recipient

Exchange rates

Currency

kwanza (AOA) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

165.916 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

252.856 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

364.826 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

578.259 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

631.442 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$35.18 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

$21.004 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$33.675 billion (2021 est.)

note

note: Data are in current year dollars and do not include illicit exports or re-exports.

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, refined petroleum, asphalt mixtures (2021)

Exports - partners

China 62%, India 10%, United Arab Emirates 4%, Portugal 3%, Spain 3% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

25.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

15.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

80.6% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-30.7% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

10.3% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

-1.2% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

10.2% (2011 est.)

industry

61.4% (2011 est.)

services

28.4% (2011 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$97.261 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

51.3 (2018 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

44.7% (2000)

lowest 10%

0.6%

Imports

Imports 2019

$22.299 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2020

$15.146 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2021

$18.845 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, scrap vessels, meat, rice, palm oil (2019)

Imports - partners

China 22%, Portugal 15%, Nigeria 6%, Belgium 6%, United States 5%, South Africa 5%, Brazil 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

-8.34% (2021 est.)

Industries

petroleum; diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, feldspar, bauxite, uranium, and gold; cement; basic metal products; fish processing; food processing, brewing, tobacco products, sugar; textiles; ship repair

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

17.08% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

22.27% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

25.75% (2021 est.)

Labor force

14.462 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

32.3% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

75.3% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

65% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$213.612 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$201.65 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$203.868 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2019

-0.7% (2019 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-5.6% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.1% (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2019

$6,600 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$6,000 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$5,900 (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$16.335 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$13.782 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$14.468 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10.09% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

7.42% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

8.33% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

8.53% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

18.8%

male

18.2%

total

18.5% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

1.689 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

17.673 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

19.362 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

11.815 billion kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

7.344 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.741 billion kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

7.3% (2018)

electrification - total population

48.2% (2021)

electrification - urban areas

74.9% (2021)

population without electricity

18 million (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

1.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

28.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

70.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

11.693 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

860.887 million cubic meters (2019 est.)

exports

5,877,945,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

6,767,715,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)

proven reserves

343.001 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

1,367,400 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

7.783 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

133,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

1,197,600 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

30,340 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

111,600 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

53,480 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.7 (2020 est.)

total

230,610 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

state controls all broadcast media with nationwide reach; state-owned Televisao Popular de Angola (TPA) provides terrestrial TV service on 2 channels; a third TPA channel is available via cable and satellite; TV subscription services are available; state-owned Radio Nacional de Angola (RNA) broadcasts on 26 stations; approximately20 private radio stations broadcast locally

Internet country code

.ao

Internet users

percent of population

33% (2021 est.)

total

11.55 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

less than one fixed-line per 100 persons; mobile-cellular teledensity about 44 telephones per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

Angola’s telecom sector in recent years has benefited from political stability, which has encouraged foreign investment in the sector; the government and regulator have also set in train mechanisms to open up the telecom sector to new competitors, mobile services were launched in April 2022; the MNOs were slow to develop LTE services, instead relying on their GSM and 3G network capabilities; there has been slow progress in LTE network development, with only a small proportion of the country covered by network infrastructure; the Ministry of Telecommunications in early 2021 set up a 5G hub to assess 5G user cases; the regulator in November 2021 granted licenses to various companies offering 5G services, with spectrum in the 3.3-3.7GHz range having been set aside for such services (2022)

international

country code - 244; landing points for the SAT-3/WASC, WACS, ACE and SACS fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to other countries in west Africa, Brazil, Europe and Asia; satellite earth stations - 29, Angosat-2 satellite expected by 2021 (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2021 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

119,826 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

44 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

15,327,864 (2021 est.)

Airports

102 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

3

joint use (civil-military) airports

2

military airports

1

note

note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)

other airports

26

total

32

Airports - with unpaved runways

70

note

note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

D2

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 13, oil tanker 8, other 37

total

58 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

78.16 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

1,516,628 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

55

number of registered air carriers

10 (2020)

Pipelines

352 km gas, 85 km liquid petroleum gas, 1,065 km oil, 5 km oil/gas/water (2013)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal(s) (export)

Angola Soyo

major seaport(s)

Cabinda, Lobito, Luanda, Namibe

Railways

narrow gauge

2,638 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge

note

123 km 0.600-mm gauge

total

2,761 km (2022)

Roadways

paved

13,600 km (2018)

total

26,000 km (2018)

unpaved

12,400 km (2018)

Waterways

1,300 km (2011)

Military - note

the Angolan Armed Forces were created in 1991 under the Bicesse Accords signed between the Angolan Government and the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA); the current force is responsible for country’s external defense but also has some domestic security responsibilities, including border protection, expulsion of irregular migrants, and small-scale counterinsurgency operations against groups like the Front for the Liberation of the Enclave of Cabinda separatists in Cabinda; the Army is one of the largest in the region with six infantry divisions spread amongst six military regions; it is also one of the better equipped, with a significant portion of its units being motorized and supported by approximately 300 Soviet-era tanks, largely acquired in the 1980s and 1990s; the Air Force is also one of the largest and best equipped in the region with a fleet of approximately 100 combat aircraft, plus a substantial inventory of transport aircraft and helicopter gunships; while naval modernization has received more attention in recent years, the Navy remains a small force of fast attack and coastal patrol craft (2023)

Military and security forces

Angolan Armed Forces (Forcas Armadas Angolanas, FAA): Army, Navy (Marinha de Guerra Angola, MGA), Angolan National Air Force (Forca Aerea Nacional Angolana, FANA; under operational control of the Army)Ministry of Interior: National Police, Border Guard Police  (2023)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 100,000 active troops (mostly Army; 5-6,000 Air Force and Navy); estimated 10,000 Rapid Reaction Police (2023)

Military deployments

in 2023, Angola agreed to send 500 troops to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for 12 months to oversee cantonment of a rebel group known as M23, though as of publication few troops had actually deployed.  Angola has also deployed military advisors as part of a SADC deployment to confront ISIS-M in Mozambique.

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

most Angolan military weapons and equipment are of Russian or of Soviet-era origin; in recent years, Russia has been the principal supplier of military hardware to Angola (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2018

2.1% of GDP (2018 est.)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.8% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.7% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.4% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

1.3% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military service age and obligation

20-45 years of age for compulsory and 18-45 years for voluntary military service for men (registration at age 18 is mandatory); 20-45 years of age for voluntary service for women; 24-month conscript service obligation; Angolan citizenship required; the Navy is entirely staffed with volunteers (2023)

Disputes - international

Angola-Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): has had disputes over land and maritime borders with the DRC; maritime disputes have largely been about offshore oil claimsAngola-Namibia: none identifiedAngola-Republic of Congo: (Kabinda Exclave) none identifiedAngola-Zambia: because the straight-line segments along the left bank (Zambian side) of the Cuando/Kwando River do not conform with the physical alignment of the unstable shoreline, Zambian residents in some areas have settled illegally on sections of shoreline that fall on the Angolan side of the boundary

Illicit drugs

used as a transshipment point for cocaine destined for Western Europe and other African states, particularly South Africa

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

22,969 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers), 9,272 (Guinea), 6,357 (Cote d'Ivoire), 5,725 (Mauritania) (2023)

Space agency/agencies

National Space Program Office (Gabinete de Gestão do Programa Espacial Nacional, GGPEN; established 2013) (2023)

Space program overview

has a national space strategy with a focus on capacity building, developing space infrastructure, investing in domestic space sector, supporting socioeconomic growth, and establishing cooperation agreements with foreign technical and scientific institutions in the space industry; contracts with foreign companies to build and launch satellites; operates satellites; cooperates with a variety of foreign space agencies and industries, including those of France and Russia (2023)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in Appendix S

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

34.69 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

23.28 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

27.16 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)

Environment - current issues

overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Land use

agricultural land

45.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 3.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 41.5% (2018 est.)

forest

54.3% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Congo Basin, Upper Kalahari-Cuvelai-Upper Zambezi Basin

Major rivers (by length in km)

Rio Zambeze (Zambezi) (shared with Zambia [s], Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique [m]) - 2,740 km; Rio Cubango (Okavango) river source (shared with Namibia and Botswana [m]) - 1,600 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Congo (3,730,881 sq km)Indian Ocean drainage: Zambezi (1,332,412 sq km)Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Okavango Basin (863,866 sq km)

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.36% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

148.4 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

150 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

240 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

320 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.04% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

68.7% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

4,213,644 tons (2012 est.)