Figure 9 shows that Algeria’s universal healthcare coverage has increased from 61 per cent in 2000 to 75 per cent in 2019. Those figures are consistently higher than the global average. The 2019 universal health coverage index gave a higher score to Algeria (75 per cent) than neighbours Morocco (73 per cent) and Tunisia (70 per cent). However, Algeria’s speed of progress in healthcare provision slowed from 2000 to 2019, with the country gaining only 14 percentage points over the period, compared to Morocco (28 percentage points), and Tunisia and the world average (22 percentage points each). This progress has focused attention on the debate over the efficiency of the Algerian healthcare system and policies. Again, the available data do not cover the impact of COVID-19, but one could expect that those figures must be significantly affected.
SDG 8: Decent work and economic growth
SDG 8: ‘Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all’.95
To strive for this goal, Algeria has chosen to develop and implement a youth employment strategy, which is intended to be in line with the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization.
Algeria is still facing major challenges in regard to this SDG despite the government’s initiatives and mechanisms for the integration and employment of young people. These include initiatives by the National Unemployment Insurance Fund and the National Agency for the Management of Microcredit, which aim to encourage young people to start their own businesses. Indeed, the unemployment rate was estimated at 11.4 per cent in 2019 – 9.1 per cent for men and 20.4 per cent for women. Young people ranging from 16 to 24 years old are more likely to be unemployed, which can be seen in the 2019 figures, where 26.9 per cent of young people (23.6 per cent of men and 45.1 per cent of women) were unemployed. Furthermore, over the same period, the rate of young people who are neither in education nor employment or training (NEET rate) is estimated at 26.2 per cent (20.4 per cent for men and 32 per cent for women). This indicator is important as it reflects the share of young people discouraged from participating in the labour market as well as education and training institutions. A large share of workers is employed in the informal sector without any social protection and legal coverage. Indeed, the labour force survey of 2019 shows that 42 per cent of workers were employed informally.
Algeria is still facing major challenges in regard to SDG 8 despite the government’s initiatives and mechanisms for the integration and employment of young people.
SDG 10: Reducing inequalities
SDG 10: ‘Reduce inequality within and among countries’.99
Chatham House survey data provided valuable insights into the remaining challenges for Algeria in achieving SDG 10. Notably, the findings indicate that persistent issues continue to contribute to the widening gap between the rich and poor. Of the survey’s respondents, 69 per cent said that over the last two years the wealth gap had grown significantly. This trend, clearly illustrated in Figure 10 below, is concerning and highlights the urgent need for action.
