Angola is located in southern Africa, bordering Namibia, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It has a population of 12 million and a GDP per capita of $4,400. Angola gained its independence from Portugal in 1975 and soon collapsed into a civil war which lasted for 27 years, until 2002. Legislative elections are currently planned for 2008 and presidential elections for 2009, although no specific timetable has been agreed to. The population is 37% Ovimbundu, 25% Kimbundu, 13% Bakongo, 2% mestico (mixed European and African), 1% European and 22% other. Forty-seven percent follow indigenous beliefs, 38% are Roman Catholic and 15% are Protestant. Angola’s economy is heavily dependent on oil, which accounts for 50% of GDP and 90% of exports. The country is also rich in other natural resources, such as diamonds, and produces a number of agricultural products.

Social Indicators
Angola’s high score of 8.5 for demographic pressures can be attributed to a large youth bulge (43.7% of the population are under the age of 15), a high infant mortality rate of 184 per 1,000 births, and a population growth rate of 2.2%. However, Angola’s estimated HIV prevalence of about 4% is low compared to most southern African countries. The score for refugees and IDPs dropped significantly from 8.5 in the Failed States Index (FSI) 2006 to 7.5 in the FSI 2007. Angola had about 4 million displaced persons when the civil war ended in 2002 but now has only about 62,000. However, forced evictions of urban slum dwellers could cause the number of internally displaced persons to rise in the future. Angola is also hosting an estimated 14,000 refugees from the DRC. Group grievance improved from 6.3 in the FSI 2006 to 5.9 in the FSI 2007. A peace agreement was signed between separatists in the Cabinda enclave, where much of Angola’s oil is located, in August 2006, ending a decades old conflict. Human flight received a low score of 5.0, with relatively few Angolans leaving the country.

Economic Indicators
The indicator for the economy received a low score of 4.2 in the FSI 2007, down from 4.9 in the FSI 2006. Increased oil production combined with rising oil prices have contributed to high rates of GDP growth in recent years. Growth was estimated at 12% in 2004, 19% in 2005 and 14% in 2006. Inequality is a serious issue, however, that has not improved as a result of the oil wealth, resulting in a high score of 8.7 for uneven economic development. A large percentage of the population feels that they have not reaped the benefits from the country’s new wealth. An estimated 70% of the population lives under the poverty line and most people still earn a living through subsistence agriculture. Many feel that the government, which has been building new housing in the capital to accommodate the emerging middle class, has done little to help the poor. In fact, many of Luanda’s poor have been evicted from their homes with no compensation to make room for the new housing complexes. A number of Angolans still rely on food aid.

Legitimacy of the state received a high score of 8.6, largely due to issues of corruption within government. Angola was ranked the 22nd most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International and there are fears that more oil wealth will cause corruption to increase. Angola is also increasingly looking to China, which does not impose corruption or human rights standards on countries where it invests or donates aid. Public services scored a 7.7 due to the high infant mortality rate, a literacy rate of only 67%, and the fact that many of the country’s urban poor lack adequate access to clean water. Human rights also had a high score of 7.5. The police, military and private security forces have been accused of unlawful killings, torture and beatings. The government has also carried out forced evictions without compensation, often in a brutal manner. Private security contractors hired by diamond mining companies were also responsible for a number of human rights abuses. The score for the security apparatus was lower, at 6.2, because the security apparatus has been consolidated by the ruling MPLA. The peace agreement signed between the Cabinda rebels and the government in August 2006 caused the score to decrease from 6.8 in the FSI 2006 to 6.2 in 2007. The indicator for factionalized elites was high, with a score of 7.5. The country’s two main political parties, the MPLA and UNITA, were armed groups that fought against each other for 27 years during the civil war. Although they are now political parties, political tensions remain. These are likely to increase in the lead-up to the country’s first elections since 1992, currently thought to take place in 2008 and 2009. The MPLA, which is the ruling party, has been accused of preventing UNITA from operating outside of the capital. The score for external intervention was 7.6 due to Angola’s high levels of debt and the fact that some of its poor are reliant on food aid.

Core Five State Institutions