Intellinews published on 2 November 2026 an article titled "Russia's Influence in Africa Grows by a Third in a Decade but Stays a Quarter of China's" by Ben Aris.
The Pardee Institute at the University of Denver maintains a "Bilateral Influence Capacity index." which measures influence on the basis of trade ties, diplomatic connections, security links, and patterns of dependence.
In 2024, China led with an influence capacity score in Africa of 11.4 percent, followed by France at 6.8 percent, the United States at 6.6 percent, UAE at 4.8 percent, Russia at 2.8 percent, and Turkey at 1.5 percent. Russia rose from 2.2 percent in 2015 and 1 percent in 1995.
