The World Bank has just announced its classification in terms of good governance for poor or developing countries. In a ranking that includes 76 countries, Cape Verde comes in second place, followed by Samoa and Santa Lucia, two other tiny island states in the Pacific and the Caribbean, respectively. Indeed, the predominance of small countries among the top positions on the list is noticeable. On the tail end of the list come the Comoros, the Central African Republic and Zimbabwe.

Africa’s other officially Portuguese-language countries are also mentioned on the list, with Mozambique coming in 36th place, São Tomé and Príncipe 60th, Guinea Bissau 68th and Angola 70th.

In addition to Cape Verde, other African countries rank well on the lost, including Tanzania (5th), Uganga (8) and Ghana (9). Cape Verde’s closest neighbor, Senegal, comes in 16th place, behind Burkina Faso (15th) and above Mali (20th), Niger (47th), Mauritania (48th), Nigeria (50th) and the Republic of Guinea (57th).

Inflation control, regular payments on the foreign debt, a free and competitive economy and balanced public spending are among the 16 criteria considered in the elaboration of the World Bank classification. The ranking apparently strives to take into account economic and social rather than political aspects, which the World Bank generally attempts to avoid discussing. Indeed, Uganda, which is not considered a model of democracy in Africa, appears on the list ahead of Ghana, considered one of the most liberal on the continent in terms of democracy.

The World Bank rating is currently considered an important tool for the countries included on it, as it serves as a sort of guide for international investors.