This archive report was first published on 19 June 2020.
On June 19, 2020, the East African Community (EAC) was ranked as the most integrated bloc among the eight Regional Economic Communities (RECs) recognized by the African Union.
The EAC topped the list in the Africa Regional Integration Index (ARII) 2019 edition, which assesses regional integration progress based on sixteen indicators grouped into five dimensions.
Regional Integration Dimensions ¶
The five dimensions include free movement of people, infrastructure integration, macroeconomic integration, productive integration, and trade integration.
According to the ARII, the EAC scored 0.537, followed by the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) with 0.488, and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) with 0.442.
EAC Secretary General, Amb. Liberate Mfumukeko, expressed satisfaction with the evaluation, stating, "This is a clear indication that we are truly on course to the Community's intended objective of transforming the region into a single market for all factors of production for enhanced welfare and economic prosperity of the people of East Africa."
Key Findings ¶
- The EAC scored 0.664 on the free movement of people indicator, the highest in the continent.
- The EAC scored 0.660 on macroeconomic integration, also the highest in the region.
- The EAC region led in infrastructure integration with an Index of 0.555, mainly due to ongoing projects in transport and energy.
- On trade integration, the EAC scored 0.440, performing better than the regional average of 0.382.
Experts agree that regional integration expands markets and trade, enhances cooperation, mitigates risk, and fosters sociocultural cooperation and regional stability.
The EAC remains optimistic about attaining higher scores on the next ARII edition as the integration process continues with goals reached and targets achieved.
Source: EAC News
