Seychelles - Modernize, Utilize, Digitalize : How to Raise Productivity to Deliver Growth, Good Jobs, and Social Mobility - Country Growth and Jobs Report

Overview & Synopsis

The Seychelles Country Growth and Jobs Report (CGJR) provides analysis and recommendations on how Seychelles can achieve higher living standards, more and better-paid jobs, and greater social mobility. As Africa’s only high-income country, Seychelles is a success story. But as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) of 122,000 people scattered across several islands in the Indian Ocean, it also faces unique structural characteristics that make achieving sustainable economic growth particularly challenging. This economic geography reflects the nation’s extreme remoteness, small size, geographic dispersion, and exposure to external shocks, which drive up production and logistics costs, hinder export competitiveness, and reduce the potential to realize economies of scale. While the initial transformation into a tourism- and fisheries-driven economy has delivered significant development gains, the economy remains dominated by these sectors, reliant on imports, and prone to shocks. Despite these structural challenges, Seychelles has high ambitions to climb the ranks among high-income countries (HICs). Achieving these ambitions will require a more diversified, productive, and inclusive economy.