Eastern Africa is the most populous region, making up 33.09% of Africa’s total population, with over 507 million people.
Together, Eastern and Western Africa house over 63% of Africa’s total population, indicating where much of the continent’s human capital and economic activity will be concentrated.
Northern Africa has 274.1 million people (17.89%), while Central Africa has 216.3 million (14.11%), placing them in the mid-range of Africa’s population distribution.
Southern Africa is by far the least populous region, contributing just 4.8% (73.6 million people) to Africa’s 1.5 billion total.
The population contrast across regions highlights key differences in urbanisation, economic opportunities, and development needs.
Understanding Africa’s population distribution is crucial for businesses, policymakers, and investors, as future economic growth, consumer markets, and labour forces will be heavily influenced by these demographic trends.
Asia remains the world's population giant, housing nearly 59% of the global population.
Africa’s population boom is accelerating, contributing 18.7% of the world’s people.
Europe is shrinking in global demographic weight, making up only 9.09% of the world’s people.
Oceania remains sparsely populated, with just 0.57% of the global population.
Demographic trends will shape economic power, as nations with younger populations could become economic engines if properly harnessed.
Urbanisation and resource allocation will become critical, especially in Asia and Africa, where rising populations will put pressure on housing, food, and infrastructure.
Nearly half of the global population is aged between 20 and 54, making this group the primary driver of economic activities worldwide.
Individuals under 19 years old make up 32.9% of the total global population, highlighting the need for sustained investments in education and child welfare.
Over 19% of the population is aged 55 and above, emphasising the need for healthcare, retirement planning, and age-friendly policies.
With 2.10 billion people, the 35-54 group represents the backbone of global leadership, corporate decision-making, and financial stability.
With a projected GDP of $80 million, Tuvalu ranks as the smallest economy globally, producing less in a year than many corporations earn in a day.
Even when put together, these small economies still fall far behind the economic output of many mid-sized countries or cities.
Nigeria’s $199.72 billion GDP overshadows the economies of these nations.
Many of the world’s smallest economies are Pacific and Caribbean island nations, which often depend on tourism, remittances, and international aid.
With limited industries and small populations, these economies are highly vulnerable to external shocks like climate change, supply chain disruptions, or shifts in global tourism trends.
East Africa: Ethiopia leads with 36.2 million agricultural workers (27.3% of its 132.5 million population). Agriculture is vital to its economy. Tanzania follows with 19.2 million workers (approximately 28.8% of 66.6 million). Uganda has 23.4% of its 50 million population in agriculture, and Kenya employs 7.6 million workers (approximately 13.7% of 55.3 million), despite land degradation affecting 80% of its land.
West Africa: Nigeria has 26.8 million agricultural workers, but with a population of 232 million, it heavily depends on food imports as only 11.5% of its population work in the agriculture section. Ghana employs 5.5 million agricultural workers (16% of 34.4 million) and has strong potential for agricultural export growth, especially cocoa.
Central Africa: DR Congo has 18.6 million agricultural workers out of a population of 109.2 million.
Southern Africa: Mozambique has 9.9 million agricultural workers 29% of 34.6 million, while Madagascar employs 10.5 million (33% of 31.9 million). Agriculture is key to Madagascar’s economy but hindered by land issues, with women producing 80% of crops.
North Africa: Egypt has 5.7 million agricultural workers (5% of 116.5 million), and relies on irrigation due to limited arable land and high food imports.
With an impressive 20.1% CAGR, the Industry (including construction) has experienced the fastest expansion, more than doubling its contribution to GDP over the period.
Services remains the largest contributor to GDP, but its growth at 14.6% CAGR is being outpaced by Industry, signalling an evolving economic structure.
Agriculture’s 11.2% CAGR shows steady growth, but its share of GDP is shrinking compared to the industrial and service sectors.
The rapid growth in Industry reflects Tanzania’s shift towards manufacturing, construction, and infrastructure development.
Unlike decades ago, when agriculture dominated, today’s GDP contributions are more balanced between Services, Industry, and Agriculture, reducing reliance on any single sector.
Niger’s 9.9% GDP growth in 2024 was the highest among African nations
At 7.0%, Rwanda remained one of Africa’s most consistent high-growth economies.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s 2.9% GDP growth is modest compared to smaller, more agile economies, signalling potential challenges in leveraging its vast resources.
The contrast between Niger’s 9.9% growth and Nigeria’s 2.9% highlights how smaller nations can outperform larger ones.
