Africa's Population
Africa has about 1.55 billion people (2025, UN World Population Prospects 2024) across 54 countries — about 19% of the world's population and the fastest-growing of any continent. Nigeria is the most populous country with about 238 million people; Seychelles is the least populous.
Population by Country
All 54 African countries ranked by 2025 population. Figures are UN World Population Prospects 2024 mid-year estimates for 1 July 2025, rounded to the nearest thousand; national statistics offices may publish slightly different numbers. Western Sahara (a disputed territory, about 600,000 people) is not included in the ranking.
| Rank | Country | Population (2025) | % of Africa | UN region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nigeria | 237,528,000 | 15.3% | West Africa |
| 2 | Ethiopia | 135,472,000 | 8.8% | East Africa |
| 3 | Egypt | 118,366,000 | 7.6% | North Africa |
| 4 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 112,832,000 | 7.3% | Central Africa |
| 5 | Tanzania | 70,546,000 | 4.6% | East Africa |
| 6 | South Africa | 64,747,000 | 4.2% | Southern Africa |
| 7 | Kenya | 57,532,000 | 3.7% | East Africa |
| 8 | Sudan | 51,662,000 | 3.3% | North Africa |
| 9 | Uganda | 51,385,000 | 3.3% | East Africa |
| 10 | Algeria | 47,435,000 | 3.1% | North Africa |
| 11 | Angola | 39,040,000 | 2.5% | Central Africa |
| 12 | Morocco | 38,431,000 | 2.5% | North Africa |
| 13 | Mozambique | 35,632,000 | 2.3% | East Africa |
| 14 | Ghana | 35,064,000 | 2.3% | West Africa |
| 15 | Madagascar | 32,741,000 | 2.1% | East Africa |
| 16 | Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | 32,712,000 | 2.1% | West Africa |
| 17 | Cameroon | 29,879,000 | 1.9% | Central Africa |
| 18 | Niger | 27,918,000 | 1.8% | West Africa |
| 19 | Mali | 25,199,000 | 1.6% | West Africa |
| 20 | Burkina Faso | 24,075,000 | 1.6% | West Africa |
| 21 | Malawi | 22,216,000 | 1.4% | East Africa |
| 22 | Zambia | 21,914,000 | 1.4% | East Africa |
| 23 | Chad | 21,004,000 | 1.4% | Central Africa |
| 24 | Somalia | 19,655,000 | 1.3% | East Africa |
| 25 | Senegal | 18,932,000 | 1.2% | West Africa |
| 26 | Zimbabwe | 16,951,000 | 1.1% | East Africa |
| 27 | Guinea | 15,100,000 | 1.0% | West Africa |
| 28 | Benin | 14,814,000 | 1.0% | West Africa |
| 29 | Rwanda | 14,569,000 | 0.9% | East Africa |
| 30 | Burundi | 14,390,000 | 0.9% | East Africa |
| 31 | Tunisia | 12,349,000 | 0.8% | North Africa |
| 32 | South Sudan | 12,189,000 | 0.8% | East Africa |
| 33 | Togo | 9,722,000 | 0.6% | West Africa |
| 34 | Sierra Leone | 8,820,000 | 0.6% | West Africa |
| 35 | Libya | 7,459,000 | 0.5% | North Africa |
| 36 | Republic of the Congo | 6,484,000 | 0.4% | Central Africa |
| 37 | Liberia | 5,731,000 | 0.4% | West Africa |
| 38 | Central African Republic | 5,513,000 | 0.4% | Central Africa |
| 39 | Mauritania | 5,315,000 | 0.3% | West Africa |
| 40 | Eritrea | 3,607,000 | 0.2% | East Africa |
| 41 | Namibia | 3,093,000 | 0.2% | Southern Africa |
| 42 | The Gambia | 2,822,000 | 0.2% | West Africa |
| 43 | Gabon | 2,593,000 | 0.2% | Central Africa |
| 44 | Botswana | 2,562,000 | 0.2% | Southern Africa |
| 45 | Lesotho | 2,363,000 | 0.2% | Southern Africa |
| 46 | Guinea-Bissau | 2,250,000 | 0.1% | West Africa |
| 47 | Equatorial Guinea | 1,938,000 | 0.1% | Central Africa |
| 48 | Mauritius | 1,268,000 | 0.1% | East Africa |
| 49 | Eswatini | 1,243,000 | 0.1% | Southern Africa |
| 50 | Djibouti | 1,184,000 | 0.1% | East Africa |
| 51 | Comoros | 883,000 | 0.1% | East Africa |
| 52 | Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) | 527,000 | 0.0% | West Africa |
| 53 | São Tomé and Príncipe | 240,000 | 0.0% | Central Africa |
| 54 | Seychelles | 133,000 | 0.0% | East Africa |
Population by Region
Using the UN geoscheme, East Africa is the most populous region, because it includes Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, Madagascar, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. West Africa is second, with Nigeria alone holding about half of its people. Southern Africa in the UN sense has only five countries and is the least populous; broader definitions that add Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Angola give it well over 200 million people.
| Region (UN) | Countries | Population (2025) | Share | Most populous country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East Africa | 18 | about 512 million | 33% | Ethiopia |
| West Africa | 16 | about 467 million | 30% | Nigeria |
| North Africa | 6 | about 276 million | 18% | Egypt |
| Central Africa | 9 | about 220 million | 14% | DR Congo |
| Southern Africa | 5 | about 74 million | 5% | South Africa |
Where Africa's People Are Concentrated
The five most populous countries — Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, DR Congo and Tanzania — hold about 44% of Africa's population. Nigeria alone accounts for about 15%. At the other end, the 20 least populous countries together have fewer people than Tanzania.
The smallest populations belong to island states. Seychelles is the least populous, followed by São Tomé and Príncipe, Cabo Verde and Comoros. On the mainland, Djibouti, Eswatini and Equatorial Guinea each have only 1–2 million people. See also the most populous countries in Africa.
Population Density
Size and density are very different. The most densely populated African countries are small: Mauritius (over 600 people per km²), Rwanda and Burundi (each over 500 per km²). In Egypt, nearly everyone lives in the Nile valley and delta, which cover less than 10% of the country, so real density there is far higher than the national average.
Large desert countries are the emptiest: Namibia, Libya, Mauritania and Botswana each have only about 4–5 people per km². A population density map of Africa shows dense clusters in the Nile valley, the Great Lakes highlands, the Ethiopian highlands and the West African coast.
Growth and Age Structure
Africa's population is growing by about 2.3% a year, the fastest rate of any continent. Growth is highest in the Sahel and Central Africa (Niger, Chad, DR Congo, Mali, Somalia), where women have on average five or more children, and lowest in North Africa, South Africa, Mauritius and Seychelles, where fertility is close to or below replacement level.
Africa is the youngest continent: its median age is about 19 years, compared with about 31 worldwide and over 40 in Europe. In many countries around 40% of people are under 15. Even as family sizes fall, this large young generation means the population will keep growing for decades. If enough jobs, schooling and health care are available, the rising share of working-age adults can boost growth — the so-called demographic dividend. See also Africa's GDP by country.
Urbanisation and Largest Cities
About 45% of Africans live in towns and cities, up from about 30% in 1990, and the UN expects the urban share to pass 55–60% by 2050. Greater Cairo, Lagos and Kinshasa each have more than 15 million people; Luanda, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Abidjan, Nairobi and Addis Ababa are among the other fast-growing metropolitan areas. Explore Africa's capital cities.
Projections to 2050
The UN World Population Prospects 2024 projects about 2.5 billion Africans by 2050, roughly one in four people on Earth. Nigeria is expected to reach about 360 million, and DR Congo, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Egypt are all expected to be among the world's 20 most populous countries. These are projections: the outcome depends mainly on how fast fertility falls.
How Africa's Population Is Counted
Most countries aim to hold a census every ten years, but timing varies; some, such as Nigeria (last census 2006) and DR Congo (1984), have gone decades without one. The UN Population Division combines censuses, surveys and birth and death records into consistent estimates for every country, which is why this page uses the UN figures. Numbers from national statistics offices, the World Bank or other sources can differ by a few percent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the population of Africa?
Africa has about 1.55 billion people in 2025 according to the UN World Population Prospects 2024, roughly 19% of the world's population. The 54 sovereign countries account for almost all of this; territories such as Réunion, Mayotte and Western Sahara add about 2 million.
Which African country has the most people?
Nigeria, with about 238 million people in 2025 (UN estimate), or roughly 15% of Africa's total. Ethiopia (about 135 million), Egypt (about 118 million) and DR Congo (about 113 million) follow.
Which African country has the fewest people?
Seychelles, with about 130,000 people. São Tomé and Príncipe (about 240,000) and Cabo Verde (about 530,000) are the next smallest; all three are island states.
Which African country has the fastest-growing population?
Niger, DR Congo, Chad, Somalia and Mali are among the fastest-growing, with annual growth around 3% or more. High fertility combined with falling child mortality produces a very young population.
How big will Africa's population be in 2050?
The UN projects about 2.5 billion people in Africa by 2050, which would be roughly one in four people on Earth. Africa's population is expected to keep growing for the rest of the century.
Last updated: September 2026. Population figures: United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024 (estimates for 1 July 2025).