Africa Population 2024

1,515,135,021

27 Rows

Year
Population
Density (/km²)
Change
20241,515,135,021502.32%
20231,480,766,207492.36%
20201,380,815,829462.51%
20151,220,069,910402.62%
20101,072,211,363352.61%
2005942,540,445312.56%
2000830,575,835272.54%
1995732,688,407242.62%
1990643,768,529212.84%
1985559,657,114182.99%
1980483,044,902162.91%
1975418,427,064142.74%
1970365,546,026122.63%
1965321,007,907112.49%
1960283,916,59592.29%
1955253,532,53482.17%
1950227,771,20381.76%
1945208,776,31271.58%
1940193,080,36561.32%
1935180,793,81461.27%
1930169,725,03061.25%
1925159,481,93551.14%
1920150,686,36350.52%
1915146,863,43950.41%
1910143,890,16950.4%
1905141,042,33850.35%
1900138,578,57850%

Africa is the second-largest and second most populous continent on earth with an estimated population in 2016 of 1.2 billion people. Africa is home to 54 recognized sovereign states and countries, 9 territories and 2 de facto independent states with very little recognition. The UN Population Fund stated in 2009 that the population of Africa had hit the one billion mark and had therefore doubled in size over the course of 27 years.

The Population Fund’s Director Thoraya Obeid spoke to the BBC at the time and underlined the reasons behind the growing population.

"African countries are all growing fast ... because there is a large number of women who have no access to planning their families," she said. "It's an African phenomenon of a large growing population and a large percentage of young people in the population."

Africa Population Growth and Life Expectancy

54 countries make up the continent of Africa, and while population growth is relatively low in some areas, countries such as Nigeria and Uganda are increasing at an advanced rate. In most countries in the continent, the population growth is in excess of 2% every year.

In addition, there is a high proportion of younger people within the Africa population as a whole, with reports that 41% of the African population is under the age of 15. The life expectancy is also low – less than 50 in many nations and averaging 52 across the continent as a whole. This has reduced considerably over the course of the last twenty years with a widespread HIV and AIDS epidemic taking much of the blame for that statistic.

Infant mortality is also extremely high, and in Mali, it is reported that there are 102 deaths per 1,000 live births. All of these statistics could potentially lead to a fall in population numbers. but in Africa, the issue over family planning leads to the reverse effect.

Africa Demographics

The African nations as a whole are made up from such a diverse set of components that it is impossible to list them in full concerning demographics. However, in certain parts of the continent, there has been an increase in Asian and European settlers, which has also served to boost the population statistics as a whole.

In former British colonies, this can be seen extensively, and Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and South Africa are all good examples as to a growing set of diverse ethnicities.

The population in Africa has grown rapidly over the last 40 years and it has a relatively young population, with more than half of the population under 25 in some states.

Most Populous Countries in Africa

Least Populous Countries in Africa

  • Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha (UK) (non-sovereign): 4,124
  • Seychelles: 93,754
  • São Tomé and Príncipe: 202,781
  • Mayotte (France): 233,993
  • Cape Verde: 508,315

Africa Population Growth

Africa's population is growing very rapidly. Population experts predict Africa's population will reach 2.4 billion by 2050.

Africa currently has a very low population density of about 65 people per square mile, which puts it behind Asia, Europe, and South America. The population of Africa is currently projected to quadruple in just 90 years, with a growth rate that will make Africa more important than ever to the global economy.

Africa's Nigeria is already one of the most populous countries on earth, and as China's population shrinks and India plateaus, Nigeria is on track to reach nearly 1 billion people by 2100 and come close to surpassing China. Nigeria's current growth represents one of the biggest population booms in world history, with the country's population expected to increase by a factor of eight in just two or three generations. All the more impressive considering the country is roughly the size of Texas.

The largest growth in Africa's population will be in sub-Saharan region, including growth in countries like Tanzania, which is one of the poorest countries on earth. Just 13 years ago, the country's population was 34 million, which has now grown to 45 million but is projected to reach 276 million by 2100. For comparison, the US population in mid-2023 was approximately 340 million.

Overall, predictions project the African continent's population to reach 2.4 billion by 2050. By 2100, more than half of the world's growth is expected to come from Africa, which could reach 4.1 billion people by 2100 and claim more than 30% of the world's population. Most African countries will at least triple in population during that period, as the region has very high fertility rates and very little family planning in most regions.

Many population experts view Africa's striking population growth with concern. Many African countries are still developing and are among the poorest countries in the world, with infrastructures and economies that struggle to meet their populations' needs for resources such as jobs, food, water, electricity, healthcare, and law enforcement. If these already strained systems fail to grow at the same speed as the population, quality of life is likely to decrease and deaths to causes such as starvation and disease could increase.

Is Africa a Country or a Continent?

So, is Africa a country? No, Africa is not a country. Africa is a continent. It is a single, giant landmass that is made up of multiple countries. One continent, Australia, only has one country. On the other hand, Africa is made up of multiple countries. Some of the countries in Africa include South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zimbabwe. The borders of Africa have changed many times throughout history, and many borders changed when Africa was freed from European colonial rule.

The answer to the very common question, “Is Africa a continent?” is, yes. Africa is a continent. It is a continent home to 54 countries, with each of them being home to their own unique political and cultural infrastructure. With all of these countries, Africa is said to be among the most genetically diverse continents on the planet. Experts say this genetic diversity comes from this land being the beginning of the human race.

Its size reflects that as well. The size of the continent of Africa is equal to the combined land masses of Europe, India, Japan, China, and the United States.

Geographically, it is the only continent that is found in [all four hemispheres](http://www.visualgeography.com/continents/africa.html), with most of the continent being found in the Tropics. Because of its location, the continent is considered to be the most susceptible to the disastrous impacts of climate change.

Africa 7 Million Years Ago

The question “is Africa a continent” has been asked for centuries, and one thing that marks it as such is its 7 million-year-old history. It is considered the origin of the human race, and also the great apes from which science says we all have evolved. The earliest Homo sapiens have been there for at least 350,000 years. It was the first continent of the world, and now the most inhabited today.

57 Rows

Country
Population
Density (/km²)
Nigeria232,679,000252
Ethiopia132,060,000120
Egypt116,538,000116
DR Congo109,276,00047
Tanzania68,560,20073
South Africa64,007,20052
Kenya56,432,90097
Sudan50,449,00027
Uganda50,015,100207
Algeria46,814,30020
Morocco38,081,20085
Angola37,885,80030
Mozambique34,631,80043
Ghana34,427,400144
Madagascar31,965,00054
Ivory Coast31,934,20099
Cameroon29,123,70061
Niger27,032,40021
Mali24,478,60020
Burkina Faso23,548,80086
Malawi21,655,300183
Zambia21,315,00028
Chad20,299,10016
Somalia19,009,20030
Senegal18,502,00094
Zimbabwe16,634,40043
Guinea14,754,80060
Benin14,462,700128
Rwanda14,256,600541
Burundi14,047,800505
Tunisia12,277,10075
South Sudan11,943,40019
Togo9,515,240168
Sierra Leone8,642,020120
Libya7,381,0204
Republic of the Congo6,332,96019
Liberia5,612,82050
Central African Republic5,330,6909
Mauritania5,169,4005
Eritrea3,535,60030
Namibia3,030,1304
Gambia2,759,990258
Gabon2,538,9509
Botswana2,521,1404
Lesotho2,337,42077
Guinea Bissau2,201,35061
Equatorial Guinea1,892,52067
Mauritius1,271,170623
Eswatini1,242,82072
Djibouti1,168,72050
Reunion878,591350
Comoros866,628465
Western Sahara590,5062
Cape Verde524,877130
Mayotte326,505873
Sao Tome and Principe235,536244
Seychelles130,418289

Countries in Africa

Africa Population History

27 Rows

Year
Population
Density (/km²)
Change
20241,515,135,021502.32%
20231,480,766,207492.36%
20201,380,815,829462.51%
20151,220,069,910402.62%
20101,072,211,363352.61%
2005942,540,445312.56%
2000830,575,835272.54%
1995732,688,407242.62%
1990643,768,529212.84%
1985559,657,114182.99%
1980483,044,902162.91%
1975418,427,064142.74%
1970365,546,026122.63%
1965321,007,907112.49%
1960283,916,59592.29%
1955253,532,53482.17%
1950227,771,20381.76%
1945208,776,31271.58%
1940193,080,36561.32%
1935180,793,81461.27%
1930169,725,03061.25%
1925159,481,93551.14%
1920150,686,36350.52%
1915146,863,43950.41%
1910143,890,16950.4%
1905141,042,33850.35%
1900138,578,57850%

Africa Population Projections

Year
Population
Density (/km²)
Change
20993,799,969,3681250.42%
20943,721,927,9471230.51%
20893,629,223,9031200.61%
20843,521,285,3281160.71%
20793,399,161,7081120.82%
20743,263,031,1741080.94%
20693,114,655,8661031.05%
20642,955,588,038971.18%
20592,787,091,977921.31%
20542,611,375,799861.45%
20492,430,059,839801.6%
20442,245,027,845741.75%
20392,058,322,351681.91%
20341,872,843,806622.06%
20291,691,322,344562.22%
20241,515,135,021500%
  1. World Population Prospects (2024 Revision) - United Nations population estimates and projections.

Sources