This archive report was first published on 21 June 2020.
On June 21, 2020, the East African Community (EAC) was ranked the most integrated regional economic community in Africa by the African Regional Integration Index for 2019.
The EAC scored 0.537, followed closely by the Arab Maghreb Union (AMU) with a score of 0.488. The index assesses regional integration progress based on 16 indicators across five dimensions: free movement of people, infrastructure integration, macroeconomic integration, productive integration, and trade integration.
According to the EAC, the five dimensions are crucial in evaluating regional integration. The EAC Secretary General, Liberate Mfumukeko, expressed satisfaction with the evaluation, stating that it is a clear indication of the region's progress towards its intended objective of transforming East Africa into a single market.
Regional integration has numerous benefits, including expanded markets and trade, enhanced cooperation, risk mitigation, and socio-cultural cooperation. It also maximizes the benefits of globalization while countering its negative effects and stimulates development in least-developed countries.
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