Countries by Continent
Countries in Africa 2026
Total Countries in Africa:
58
Change
-1%
-0.5%
0%
0.5%
1%
1.5%
2%
2.5%
3%
3.5%
Countries in Africa
Country | Population↓ | Change | UN Member | Area (km²) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Nigeria | 242,432,000 | 2.07% | 923.8K | |
 | Ethiopia | 138,902,000 | 2.53% | 1.1M | |
 | Egypt | 120,101,000 | 1.47% | 1M | |
 | DR Congo | 116,452,000 | 3.21% | 2.3M | |
 | Tanzania | 72,563,800 | 2.86% | 945.1K | |
 | South Africa | 65,453,100 | 1.09% | 1.2M | |
 | Kenya | 58,636,400 | 1.92% | 580.4K | |
 | Sudan | 53,282,700 | 3.14% | 1.9M | |
 | Uganda | 52,761,500 | 2.68% | 241.6K | |
 | Algeria | 48,028,300 | 1.25% | 2.4M | |
 | Angola | 40,215,200 | 3.01% | 1.2M | |
 | Morocco | 38,762,400 | 0.86% | 446.6K | |
 | Mozambique | 36,639,900 | 2.83% | 801.6K | |
 | Ghana | 35,697,600 | 1.81% | 238.5K | |
 | Madagascar | 33,522,100 | 2.39% | 587K | |
 | Ivory Coast | 33,494,300 | 2.39% | 322.5K | |
 | Cameroon | 30,640,800 | 2.55% | 475.4K | |
 | Niger | 28,814,900 | 3.21% | 1.3M | |
 | Mali | 25,932,300 | 2.91% | 1.2M | |
 | Burkina Faso | 24,601,700 | 2.19% | 273K | |
 | Malawi | 22,785,500 | 2.56% | 118.5K | |
 | Zambia | 22,521,900 | 2.77% | 752.6K | |
 | Chad | 21,560,400 | 2.65% | 1.3M | |
 | Somalia | 20,305,900 | 3.31% | 637.7K | |
 | Senegal | 19,366,500 | 2.3% | 196.7K | |
 | Zimbabwe | 17,273,600 | 1.9% | 390.8K | |
 | Guinea | 15,442,000 | 2.27% | 245.9K | |
 | Benin | 15,170,400 | 2.4% | 112.6K | |
 | Rwanda | 14,889,700 | 2.2% | 26.3K | |
 | Burundi | 14,729,200 | 2.36% | 27.8K | |
 | South Sudan | 12,436,000 | 2.03% | 619.7K | |
 | Tunisia | 12,415,100 | 0.54% | 163.6K | |
 | Togo | 9,930,920 | 2.15% | 56.8K | |
 | Sierra Leone | 8,996,740 | 2.01% | 71.7K | |
 | Libya | 7,539,850 | 1.09% | 1.8M | |
 | Republic of the Congo | 6,637,780 | 2.37% | 342K | |
 | Liberia | 5,853,950 | 2.14% | 111.4K | |
 | Central African Republic | 5,698,980 | 3.37% | 623K | |
 | Mauritania | 5,461,320 | 2.75% | 1M | |
 | Eritrea | 3,682,670 | 2.1% | 117.6K | |
 | Namibia | 3,153,250 | 1.95% | 825.6K | |
 | Gambia | 2,884,080 | 2.2% | 10.7K | |
 | Gabon | 2,647,400 | 2.09% | 267.7K | |
 | Botswana | 2,603,390 | 1.61% | 582K | |
 | Lesotho | 2,389,340 | 1.1% | 30.4K | |
 | Guinea-Bissau | 2,297,810 | 2.15% | 36.1K | |
 | Equatorial Guinea | 1,984,470 | 2.38% | 28.1K | |
 | Eswatini | 1,269,860 | 1.09% | 17.4K | |
 | Mauritius | 1,265,060 | -0.25% | 2K | |
 | Djibouti | 1,199,460 | 1.3% | 23.2K | |
 | Comoros | 899,010 | 1.83% | 1.9K | |
 | Reunion | 886,298 | 0.44% | 2.5K | |
 | Western Sahara | 610,813 | 1.65% | 266K | |
 | Cape Verde | 529,630 | 0.44% | 4K | |
 | Mayotte | 347,536 | 3.12% | 374 | |
 | Sao Tome and Principe | 244,994 | 1.97% | 964 | |
 | Seychelles | 134,959 | 1.64% | 452 | |
 | Saint Helena Ascension and Tristan da Cunha | 5,147 | -0.96% | 27.8K |
Key Findings
Size and Population Rankings
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Africa is the second-largest continent by geographic area and the second-most populous continent globally, with an area of approximately 30 million km² (11.6 million mi²) and a population of over 1.4 billion people.
Countries of Africa
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Africa has 54 countries fully recognized by the United Nations, two independent states with limited or no recognition (Western Sahara and Somaliland), and several territories (mostly islands) controlled by non-African countries.
Definitions & Methodology
Number of Countries Given Africa's complicated political situation, history of colonialism, and ongoing insurrections in many countries, the exact number of officially recognized countries on the continent remains a contentious issue.
Last Updated: May 7, 2026
