Redefining Prosperity in African Cities: The Launch of the Maisha Bora Index

Professor Henrietta L. Moore

At the Institute for Global Prosperity, we have long argued that conventional economic metrics are insufficient for understanding how people live and what they need to thrive. In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, we have worked to introduce new methodologies to change this. I am delighted to announce the publication of the Maisha Bora Index – Africa’s first citizen-led, co-produced, localised prosperity measure.

The name Maisha Bora means "Good Life" in Swahili, and this Index was born out of a desire to understand prosperity not in abstract terms, but through the lived experiences and priorities of people navigating everyday challenges in unplanned urban settlements. What does a good life look like when you live without health insurance, when water is scarce, when youth unemployment is a daily reality?

Despite the global language of “shared prosperity” embedded in the Sustainable Development Goals and promoted by institutions like the World Bank, operational definitions continue to focus narrowly on income and consumption growth among the poorest 40%. These definitions overlook the fact that prosperity is built not only through earnings but through reliable infrastructure, accessible services, and social cohesion. Prosperity is about how people live, not just how much they earn.

The Maisha Bora Index is a radical departure from top-down models. Co-created with communities in three unplanned settlements—Mji Mpya, Bonde la Mpunga and Keko Machungwa—the Index reflects what people themselves value. Using over a thousand household surveys and qualitative insights, it reveals a complex picture: formal employment is more strongly associated with well-being than income alone. Women, despite lower employment rates, contribute more significantly to social cohesion. Youth unemployment is not only high but has a particularly damaging impact on prosperity outcomes. Nearly 28% of residents rate their health as poor or fair, and over 90% lack health insurance. These are not abstract statistics—they are realities that demand attention.

Crucially, communities involved in this research are not passive subjects—they are agents of change. Their priorities are clear: improved drainage and waste management infrastructure, access to clean water and affordable health services, and cleaner cooking energy. With hyperlocal data in hand, communities, local leaders and municipalities are already using the Maisha Bora Index to guide interventions that matter most to them.

This is not just a new measurement tool; it is a new way of doing social transformation. It is a challenge to the idea that prosperity can be defined from afar, and a demonstration of what is possible when research, policy and action are built with communities rather than for them. The Maisha Bora Index is a blueprint for how African cities—and cities around the world—can chart new pathways toward inclusive, sustainable and dignified futures.

True prosperity begins by listening. With the Maisha Bora Index, we are doing just that—and beginning to build the future from the ground up.

Professor Henrietta L. Moore is the Founder and Director of the Institute for Global Prosperity and the Chair in Culture Philosophy and Design at University College London (UCL).