5 African countries that spend the most time in traffic mid 2024

Moving by road in Africa can be both a necessity and a test of patience. The beauty of a smooth journey is often overshadowed by the reality of traffic and long delays.

This will be relatable if you have ever found yourself stuck in traffic, watching minutes turn into hours on what should have been a quick trip.

One of the primary culprits behind Africa’s traffic challenges is inadequate infrastructure. Many cities were not originally designed to accommodate the rapid population growth and urbanization witnessed in recent decades.

In cities like Lagos, Nairobi, and Cairo, the scarcity of multiple access roads increases congestion. Single-lane highways and narrow streets become bottlenecks during peak hours, leading to gridlock that can stretch for miles.

Beyond inconvenience, traffic congestion has significant economic implications. Delays in transporting goods lead to increased costs for businesses, which ultimately trickle down to consumers. Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial hub, reportedly loses N4 trillion each year due to traffic congestion.

A mid-year traffic report by Numbeo, a platform providing current information on living costs, quality of life, and socio-economic factors globally, has revealed which African countries experience the most traffic congestion.

The Traffic Index is calculated by comparing the time taken to travel during peak hours to the time it would take to travel the same distance under ideal traffic conditions.

It also considers factors such as dissatisfaction with time spent in traffic, CO2 emissions, and overall traffic system inefficiencies.