2024 Edition Primary

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. The Angola area is estimated to 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 Nzingha Mbande, the 17th century diplomat to the Portuguese and later Queen, 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, Portugal and other European powers set Angola’s modern borders, 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, a collapse that occurred in part because of growing discontent over conflict in Angola and other colonies. Angola’s multiple independence movements soon clashed, 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 Soviet Union and Cuba supporting the MPLA and the US and South Africa supporting UNITA. 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

46.9% (male 8,752,419/female 8,701,422)

15-64 years

50.7% (male 9,076,080/female 9,795,035)

65 years and over

2.4% (2024 est.) (male 367,559/female 509,546)

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

41.1 births/1,000 population (2024 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

7.6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 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

2.81 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

female

50.3 deaths/1,000 live births

male

60.7 deaths/1,000 live births

total

55.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 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%  (2014 est.)

note

note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Life expectancy at birth

female

65.1 years

male

60.8 years

total population

62.9 years (2024 est.)

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

62.4% (2015)

male

82.6%

total population

71.1%

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

16.8 years

male

15.8 years

total

16.3 years (2024 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 (2024 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

8.2% (2016)

Physician density

0.21 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

female

19,006,003 (2024 est.)

male

18,196,058

total

37,202,061

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

3.33% (2024 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

1.01 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 (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.7 children born/woman (2024 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 (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador James Story (since 23 October 2024)

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)

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 

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), SADC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, 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 135, women 85, percentage women 38.6%

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

Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola Electoral Coalition or CASA-CE Humanist Party of Angola or PHI National Front for the Liberation of Angola or FNLA; note - party has two factionsNational Union for the Total Independence of Angola or UNITA (largest opposition party)Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola or MPLA; note- ruling party in power since 1975Social Renewal Party or PRS 

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, bananas, maize, sweet potatoes, sugarcane, pineapples, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, citrus fruits (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

1.5% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

49.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$13.871 billion (2019 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$18.117 billion (2019 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 2021

$8.399 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

$11.763 billion (2022 est.)

Current account balance 2023

$4.21 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Debt - external

Debt - external 2022

$46.549 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: present value of external debt in current US dollars

Economic overview

middle-income, oil-dependent African economy; widespread poverty; rising inflation and currency depreciation; seeking diversification through agricultural production; significant corruption in public institutions; major infrastructure investments from China and US; exited OPEC in 2023

Exchange rates

Currency

kwanza (AOA) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

364.826 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

578.259 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

631.442 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

460.568 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

685.02 (2023 est.)

Exports

Exports 2021

$33.675 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$50.12 billion (2022 est.)

Exports 2023

$36.961 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

crude petroleum, natural gas, diamonds, ships, refined petroleum (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 40%, India 9%, Netherlands 7%, France 7%, UAE 7% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

39.9% (2023 est.)

government consumption

6.4% (2023 est.)

household consumption

53.8% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-26.7% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

26.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

14.9% (2023 est.)

industry

45.3% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

39.7% (2023 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$84.723 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2018

51.3 (2018 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

39.6% (2018 est.)

lowest 10%

1.3% (2018 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports

Imports 2021

$18.845 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$28.564 billion (2022 est.)

Imports 2023

$23.676 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, wheat, cars, poultry, palm oil (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

China 24%, Portugal 10%, Netherlands 8%, UAE 5%, India 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

-7.18% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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) 2021

25.75% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

21.36% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

13.64% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

15.223 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Population below poverty line

32.3% (2018 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt

Public debt 2017

65% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$255.821 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$263.611 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$265.868 billion (2023 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

1.2% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.05% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

0.86% (2023 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$7,400 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$7,400 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$7,200 (2023 est.)

Remittances

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

0.02% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

0.01% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

0.01% of GDP (2023 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$14.468 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$13.655 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$13.942 billion (2023 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

10.09% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

Unemployment rate

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

15.8% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

14.69% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

14.62% (2023 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

25.8% (2023 est.)

male

30.7% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

28.2% (2023 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

8,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

2.741 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

17.069 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

19.818 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

imports

3,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

consumption

14.986 billion kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

7.588 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.954 billion kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

7.3% (2018 est.)

electrification - total population

48.5% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

76.2%

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

25% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

74.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

9.61 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

1.397 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports

4.116 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

5.514 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

343.002 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil estimated reserves

7.783 billion barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

127,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

1.175 million bbl/day (2023 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

(2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

94,000 (2022 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

67 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

23.978 million (2022 est.)

Airports

106 (2024)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

D2

Heliports

2 (2024)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 13, oil tanker 8, other 43

total

64 (2023)

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

key ports

Cabinda, Estrela Oil Field, Lobito, Luanda, Malongo Oil Terminal, Namibe, Palanca Terminal, Takula Terminal

ports with oil terminals

17

small

8

total ports

21 (2024)

very small

13

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

13,680 km (2020)

total

76,000 km

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 separatist groups; the Army and Air Force are some of the largest and better equipped forces in the region (2024)

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 (2024)

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 100,000 active troops (2024)

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 (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

most Angolan military weapons and equipment are of Russian or Soviet-era origin; there are smaller quantities of items originating from such suppliers as China, Brazil, and South Africa (2024)

Military expenditures

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 Expenditures 2023

1.3% of GDP (2023 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)

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)

9,272 (Guinea), 6,357 (Cote d'Ivoire), 5,725 (Mauritania) (2023); 22,841 (Democratic Republic of the Congo) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2024)

Space agency/agencies

National Space Program Office (Gabinete de Gestão do Programa Espacial Nacional, GGPEN; established 2013) (2024)

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, Russia, and the US (2024)

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 the Space Programs reference guide

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.)