ATI
COUNTRY PROFILE
Mauritius
The country is classified as a high economic transformer, with an overall ATI (African Transformation Index) score around 56–62 (out of 100) over the past decade, positioning it among Africa’s top-performing countries. The economy has shown impressive progress across most DEPTH dimensions, with particularly high scores on economic diversification, productivity, and human well-being.
Port Louis
1.26 million
-0.1 %
7.0 %
US $11,417
Mauritius’s Performance on the African Transformation Index
The overall African Transformation Index score measures the five dimensions of DEPTH.
Overall score
59.1 /100
Score change
since 2000
At a glance
- The country is classified as a high economic transformer, with an overall ATI (African Transformation Index) score around 56–62 (out of 100) over the past decade, positioning it among Africa's top-performing countries.
- The economy has shown impressive progress across most DEPTH dimensions, with particularly high scores on economic diversification, productivity, and human well-being.
| Score /100 |
Change since 2000 | ||
 |
Diversification |
75.8 |
+0.8
|
 |
Export competitiveness |
25.8 |
-45.7
|
 |
Productivity increases |
85.9 |
+36.5
|
 |
Technology upgrading |
14.7 |
+10.0
|
 |
Human well-being |
93.4 |
+8.8
|
Diversification of production and exports measures countries’ capability to produce and export a widening array of goods and services.
Score
75.8 /100
Score change
since 2000
At a glance
- Mauritius consistently scores high on diversification, with an economic diversification sub-index score of 75.8 in 2020.
- The manufacturing sector contributes approximately 20 percent to GDP, while services hold a dominant share of around 70 percent, driven by financial services, tourism, and the hospitality industry.
- The country relies on certain key exports. However, its diversification efforts through an export-oriented development strategy that prioritized enhancing exports of textiles, garments, and tourism, alongside traditional sugar exports contributed significantly to the share of manufacturing and services in total exports remaining high at over 85 percent.
- In view of that, the economy has demonstrated resilience in the face of various global economic shocks, including the adverse impacts of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, which have negatively influenced tourism revenues.
Export competitiveness is measured as the ratio of a country’s share in the world’s exports of non-extractive goods and services to its share in world non-extractive GDP.
Score
25.8 /100
Score change
since 2000
At a glance
-
Despite exceeding the SSA average, Mauritius’ export competitiveness score has been on a downward trajectory since 2013, reflecting an urgent need for a strategic focus on diversifying the country’s export basket.
-
While Mauritius has made strides in exporting higher-value products, it remains partially reliant on traditional exports, with a notable share of medium and high-tech goods.
-
This competitiveness is supported by ongoing productivity improvements, though the relatively lower proportion of high-tech exports in manufacturing (averaging around 4-15 percent) highlights further potential for technological upgrades.
Productivity increases measure the value added per unit of labor in agriculture, manufacturing, and services.
Score
85.9 /100
Score change
since 2000
At a glance
- Productivity has been a core focus for Mauritius, with a sub-index score of 85.9 (out of 100) in 2020.
- Mauritius’ strong score on this dimension is likely a testament to the country's proactive approach to education in recent decades.
- Agricultural productivity per worker increased to almost $10,000 by 2020, while manufacturing productivity exceeded $15,000 per worker.
- Service sector productivity has also risen steadily, with services value added per worker showing consistent growth.
- The high percentage of formal employment (78 percent) contributes to this productivity, especially among women, 86 percent of whom are waged or salaried.
Technology upgrading measures the medium-and high-technology content in total production activities and total commodity exports.
Score
14.7 /100
Score change
since 2000
At a glance
- Mauritius has not actively pursued technology upgrading, reflected in a composite technology upgrade sub-index score that has gradually increased, reaching up to 14.7 points.
- The share of medium and high-tech goods in manufactured exports shows some variation, with peaks around 14 percent. However, the share of medium and high-tech products in manufacturing remains modest, highlighting opportunities for further innovation.
- Continued investment in technology and innovation will be vital to sustaining Mauritius' global competitiveness.
Human well-being measures economic and social outcomes and enablers in terms of incomes, income inequality, formal employment, and female participation in formal labor markets.
Score
93.4 /100
Score change
since 2000
At a glance
- Mauritius consistently ranks highly on human well-being, with a composite human wellbeing sub-index score that has risen to over 93.4 points in recent years. This is reflected in rising GDP per capita (PPP) levels, now exceeding $23,000, and a moderate Gini coefficient, indicating relatively balanced income distribution.
- The robust formal employment rates and improvements in per capita income have translated into improved living standards and reduced poverty rates, cementing Mauritius’ position as one of Africa's most developed nations.
Discover more from the ATI
ATI Scorecard
Explore the data behind the economic transformation progress of 30 African countries between 2000-2020.
Growth with DEPTH
Explore the ATI in DEPTH and see how African countries performed on each dimension between 2000-2020.
Methodology
Learn more about our methodology, sources, and how we calculate the index.
Country Profiles
To explore the results of the index in greater detail and provide context and analysis, the ATI report includes 11 case studies.
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