Introduction

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the sovereignty of Mauritius using the methodology of the Burke Institute. Sovereignty is assessed in 7 areas: political, economic, technological, informational, cultural, cognitive and military. Each aspect is assessed on the basis of official data from international and national sources (UN, World Bank, UNESCO, IMF, ITU, FAO, SIPRI, PISA, etc.) without using politicized indexes. The maximum score in each direction is 100; the sum (up to 700) is the accumulated Sovereignty Index (Burke Index).

To adapt and adjust statistical parameters, an international expert survey was conducted for each of the seven components using a single questionnaire of 10 questions with a 10-point scale and one open-ended question.

In total, at least 100 experts from 50+ countries were interviewed for each indicator, taking into account geographical representation and specialization. When calculating and analyzing the data, equalizing coefficients were used, bringing all data to a scale of 0-10 points.

The final index value is the arithmetic mean between statistical data and expert estimates.

Below is an analysis in each area, a summary table and the main conclusions about the peculiarities of the sovereignty of Mauritius.

Political sovereignty — 82.4

Mauritius is a member of many international organizations, including the United Nations, the African Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and others.

The country also participates in regional associations: SADC (South African Development Community), COMESA (Communities of Eastern and Southern African States), IOC (Indian Ocean Commission). The Constitution of Mauritius stipulates that national law takes precedence over international law, but the country undertakes to comply with signed international treaties, including trade and environmental agreements.

Decisions of international courts (for example, the International Court of Justice) are formally recognized, but enforcement depends on internal legal procedures. Mauritius is often described as one of the most stable countries in Africa: elections are peaceful, political violence is extremely rare, and there are no ethnic conflicts.

The WGI (Worldwide Governance Indicators) index of political stability is one of the highest in the region (2024: about +0.5). The Government Efficiency Index (WGI) for Mauritius is about +1.00, one of the best indicators in Africa and above most of its neighbors. The EGDI (Electronic Government Development Index, UN) for Mauritius in 2022-2024 was at 0.68, which places the country among the leaders in Africa, above the regional average.

The level of public trust in the Prime Minister and parliamentarians is traditionally high; according to the results of local and independent polls in 2023-2024, more than 60% of the population trusts, and support has been stable in recent years.

There are no foreign military bases on the territory of Mauritius; the country openly opposes the deployment of foreign military installations, including the dispute over the island of Diego Garcia, which is controlled by Great Britain with a US base, but is considered occupied by the Mauritian side.

Mauritius is a member of the International Criminal Court (ICC), recognizes and implements decisions on a number of transnational courts, and regularly appeals to the International Court of Justice for territorial disputes (for example, in the Chagos Islands case). The government of the country is strictly centralized, although there are elements of self-government at the municipal level.

Most of the powers are concentrated in the hands of the central Government and Parliament. Security services are officially monitored through parliamentary committees and a civil audit, and reports are published annually. In the indices of transparency of the political system (for example, Transparency International 2024), Mauritius has one of the highest scores among African states (CPI approximately 50).

Data completeness assessment: the main indicators are available from international sources, coverage is 98%.

Economic sovereignty — 67.8

The latest figures for 2024-2025: GDP per capita (at purchasing power parity) is about 27,300 - 28,100 USD, the forecast for the end of 2025 is about 28,137 USD. As of January 2025, Mauritius's international foreign exchange reserves amounted to 7.1 billion US dollars, of which the gold reserve was 1.13 billion dollars or 12.4 tons of physical gold.

The national debt of Mauritius is 77-83% of GDP as of December 2024-2025. Mauritius imports most of its food, and food security is stable due to the diversification of imports and a well-developed inventory management system; the country belongs to the group of African States with relatively high food security.

Mauritius depends on the import of energy resources; renewable sources form about 22% of the energy balance, the rest are hydrocarbons through imports, which does not ensure full energy independence. Its own mineral resources are extremely limited; there is no extraction of industrial or energy resources; limited reserves of basalt and building materials.

The country has internal water resources such as lakes and groundwater, but in many areas there is a shortage of water during the dry seasons, and projects are underway to modernize the water supply. The national payment infrastructure is provided by the Central Bank (Bank of Mauritius); there are national standards for settlements and interbank transfers through the MAUCAS system and international payment systems.

Domestic settlements are mainly conducted in Mauritian rupees (MUR); export-import transactions are mainly in USD, EUR and GBP due to the structure of foreign trade. The issuing center is the Central Bank of Mauritius with a fully nationalized structure; it independently manages the country's credit and monetary policy.

Data completeness assessment: the main macroeconomic indicators are available from official sources (World Bank, IMF), coverage is 94%

Technological sovereignty — 56.2

In 2023, research and development spending amounted to 0.23% of GDP; this is one of the lowest rates among the countries in the top 100 in terms of innovation. Direct government import substitution programs in high-tech are limited, the local industry is mainly focused on integrating foreign solutions, and the priority is the development of digital services and software outsourcing.

In 2022, 44.2% of young people of the appropriate age were enrolled in higher education institutions; this is one of the best indicators in Africa, although less than half of young people are receiving higher education. In January 2024, Internet penetration in Mauritius was 75.5% of the population, and among young people aged 12-29, it was above 97%.

Developed government digital platforms — e-Government (government services), MAUCAS (national payment processing), online education portal; most platforms are integrated with foreign software, but are managed by local structures.

The country is almost completely dependent on the import of hardware, software, components and digital solutions from the EU, India, and China. There is no local production of machinery and components. Mauritius is one of Africa's leaders in the digitalization of public services; a single electronic portal with wide access to administrative, tax, educational and social services is available.

The biotech sector is extremely small; most technologies and equipment are imported; there are few scientific government centers, and a marginal share in the national The R&D budget. Robotics developments are carried out only sporadically at the level of scientific laboratories and university startups, there is no mass production or autonomous industry.

Full technological dependence: there is no production of chips and microelectronics, imports are carried out from China, Europe and India; local assembly or design is not carried out.

Data completeness assessment: key indicators are obtained from WIPO, ITU, UNESCO, which provides 93% coverage.

Information sovereignty — 71.9

Mauritius ranks 1st in Africa and is in the Tier 1 group in the world according to the ITU Global Cybersecurity Index (2024); the highest score is 100% in all 5 pillars of the analysis, and the national CERT is in effect. There is 1 national IXP (Mauritius Internet Exchange Point) in the country, supported by the government and the African Union; 5G and FTTH networks are being developed, powerful international connectivity via submarine cables and high coverage of 4G/5G networks.

National Television (MBC) has content in Mauritian Creole, as well as in French, English and partly in Bhojpuri; Creole remains the main spoken language, but does not completely dominate the media, separate TV channels and radio in Creole exist, but some content is in other languages.

Mauritius is almost entirely dependent on global BigTech (Google, Meta, Microsoft) for hosting, cloud services, and critical infrastructure, which reduces resilience in the event of international sanctions/outages. About 60% of media content (national TV channels, radio, print media) is produced locally, while the remaining shares are occupied by foreign films, TV series, and news streams.

Development is underway, but mainly web solutions, e-government integration, and fintech products for banks and national processing; there is no major distribution or export. The penetration of digital public services, the Internet, and mobile communications is one of the highest in Africa; 4G coverage exceeds 97%, and digital services cover the majority of the population.

The system of state data centers and national cloud platforms is implemented under the management of the Ministry of Technology; part of the state infrastructure is stored locally, but commercial clouds are mainly foreign. Mobile operators — Mauritius Telecom, Emtel, MTML — are mainly with local participation, although there are foreign shares (Orange Group), the main highways and licenses are under national control.

Data protection laws comply with the GDPR standard; the Data Protection Act is in force with an independent regulator, and a broad legal regime applies to personal and biometric data.

Data completeness assessment: infrastructure indicators are available from ITU, CIRA, OECD and specialized sources, coverage is 94%.

Cultural sovereignty — 76.2

Mauritius has 2 UNESCO World Heritage Sites — cultural: Aapravasi Ghat (the port of arrival of Indian indentured labourers) and the Cultural Landscape of Le Morne (a symbol of the slaves' struggle for freedom).

The country has made a global contribution through the wage labor system, the culture of Creole society, Sega music (included in the UNESCO Intangible Heritage List), and has preserved a unique multicultural heritage within the Indian Ocean. Since 2018, the National Arts Fund has been operating, and national awards are held annually in 6 categories: music, theater, cinema, dance, literature, and fine arts; the awards were established by the Ministry of Arts and Culture.

Mauritius is a country with a rich mix of Indian, African, European and Chinese traditions; a special role is played by the Creole language, multi-ethnic holidays (Diwali, Ramadan, Chinese New Year, Kaveiri, etc.), and the main cultural tradition is sega dance and music. The State supports cultural initiatives of small ethnic groups through the financing of folklore festivals, individual grants to small communities, and systematic support for linguistic and religious diversity, including local temples and institutions.

There are more than 20 museums on the island, dozens of public cultural centers, galleries and historical monuments, as well as 2 UNESCO sites and many regional cultural locations. Mauritius participates in international Indian Ocean festivals, cooperates with France, India and Africa, regularly holds exhibitions, tours of artists and its own festivals to attract tourists and develop bridges with the countries of origin of the population.

Legal protection mechanisms operate under copyright law, national brands (Sega music, literature, Creole cuisine) are promoted separately; since the 2020s, several programs have been launched to protect national cultural heritage and local crafts.

The island's cuisine is synthetic — Indian, Creole, Chinese, French and European dishes predominate; separate studies show that more than 80% of restaurants offer dishes from several cultures at once; curries, samos, shrimp, freshwater fish dishes, organic tea, and fruits are considered unique.

Approximately 45-60% of the population regularly participates in cultural events, festivals, museum visits and participation in creative circles, according to the latest opinion polls from 2022-2024.

Data completeness assessment: basic indicators are available in UNESCO and national statistics, coverage is 97%.

Cognitive sovereignty — 74.6

The latest HDI value is 0.806 (2023), the country is included in the category of "high human development" and ranks 72nd in the world, ahead of most African countries. Government spending on education in 2023 amounted to 4.57% of GDP; significant funds are allocated annually for reforms, infrastructure and support for all levels of education.

Adult literacy is 92.2% (2021-2024); among young people (15-24 years old), the figure exceeds 98%. Mauritius is not included in the core PISA (OECD) program; the country does not conduct full-scale international tests, although individual pilot assessments of school students' competencies are conducted in partnership with UNESCO and the World Bank.

STEM graduates make up about 23% of all university graduates (2023), and public and private universities systematically support programs in engineering, IT, mathematics, and environmental sciences.

About 30% of master's and doctoral programs are implemented according to the standards of foreign universities — there are partnerships with universities in France, India, Great Britain, Australia, exchange programs and distance learning courses. The State supports Creole, Bohjpuri, Sindhi, Hindi, and Chinese as cultural and educational languages; there are special courses, support for textbooks and activities for small nations, cultural days, clubs, and electives in schools.

There are 8 government research institutes, including university centers (University of Mauritius, Institute of Oceanology, Agrocenter, Biotechnology Center); the areas are oceanology, agriculture, ecology, medicine and IT. The main online distance education platforms are under the control of the Ministry of Education; 75-80% of the systems are of national design, while the platforms integrate international solutions for individual courses.

Budget grants are allocated annually to support talented students, there are national scholarships, programs to encourage young researchers and incubators at universities; the amount of funding increases every year, support covers 8-12 thousand young professionals per year.

Data completeness assessment: education indicators are available in the UNDP, UNESCO, OECD, coverage is 97%.

Military sovereignty — 39.1

Defense spending is less than 0.2% of GDP, which is typical for non-industrial military states. There are no regular armed forces in Mauritius in the classical sense; there is a small Police Force and a Special Mobile Force (SMF) — less than 2,700 main personnel, about 1,200 coast guards. The main weapons are light rifles, patrol boats and separate communications equipment, most of the equipment is purchased abroad (EU, India, USA); there are no modern tanks, aircraft or high-tech systems.

There is no own production of military equipment and weapons, and the structure is completely import-dependent. The State has full control of maritime and land borders with the help of the Coast Guard and the Border Police system; regular monitoring is carried out using patrol vessels, drones and radar.

There is no military reserve as such; mobilization resources are limited to special services and police personnel (about 4,000 people with the potential to increase only in case of an emergency). Mauritius does not belong to military blocs or alliances, participates only in regional security forums (IOC, SADC, etc.).

All military decisions are made by the national leadership independently. There is no military industry, purchases are completely imported, single assemblies are possible only for the needs of the police.

There are no nuclear weapons, the country is a signatory to the NPT and categorically advocates nuclear-weapon-free zones. There are no military space programs or proprietary satellites; intelligence is limited by police capabilities and cooperation with foreign partners (intelligence exchanges at the regional level).

All parameters are reflected in the annual reports of SIPRI, UNODA, the Ministry of Defense, the official portals of state-owned companies (Embraer, IMBEL) and industry databases of UN/NGO - 92% coverage

Final Summary Table

The main conclusions

Strengths. High level of governance and institutions: one of the highest government effectiveness and cybersecurity indexes in Africa, transparent governance, strong control over corruption. Stability and security: minimal crime rate, high social stability, well-developed legal system, low risks for business and tourism.

High human capital: literacy rate of about 92%, high HDI (0.806), good educational enrollment and digital literacy rates. Digitalization and innovation: advanced e-government infrastructure, digital services coverage, full national control over mobile communications, and national e-Gov.

Inclusion and diversity: a well-developed multicultural environment, support for small nations, a variety of languages, holidays, cooking, sustainable interethnic cooperation

Weaknesses. Military and technological dependence: there is no own military-industrial complex and a modern army, fully imported weapons and equipment, there is no intelligence, space, nuclear and strategic technologies.

Import dependence and raw materials: there are almost no own mineral and energy resources, a high share of imports in food and fuel, the energy balance is based on imports. Weak presence in high-tech: low R&D costs (0.23% of GDP), weak share of national software and start-up industry, lack of independent IT industry and microprocessors.

The limitations of a mature scientific environment: few government research centers, a low proportion of STEM graduates, low scientific exports, limited participation in PISA and global research. Small market and limited cultural exports: small population, limited exports of Creole culture and brands, and limited recognition outside the island.

Overall assessment. The cumulative sovereignty Index of Mauritius is 468.2 out of 700 possible points (average 66.9%), which places the country in the top 50 in the world top. Mauritius is an example of political and economic stability, Africa's leader in IT, education, democracy and quality of life.

At the same time, weak military and technological autonomy, complete import dependence in critical sectors, and limited capabilities of its own industry remain the main vulnerability factors of this "African Singapore."

The sovereignty profile indicates that the sovereignty of Mauritius is based on strong political institutions, sustainable governance, unique multiculturalism and a developed digital infrastructure. However, its strategic, defense, and technological autonomy remains limited, and critical sectors are heavily dependent on the outside world.

The historic decision on Chagos leads to an expansion of formal sovereignty, but does not eliminate the conventions in the field of security and long-term technological independence.