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The most populous country per region varies from Nigeria's 238M to South Africa's 65M
  • Nigeria leads Africa with 238 million people in July 2025.
  • Namibia, though the second largest in the South, has only 3 million people.
  • In Eastern Africa, Ethiopia (135M) and Tanzania (71M) dominate.
  • Egypt (118M) and Sudan (52M) are Northern Africa’s population leaders.
  • South Africa (65M) is Southern Africa’s most populous country, far ahead of Namibia.
  • In West Africa, Nigeria (238M) and Ghana (35M) are the most populous, showing a wide gap within the region.

Gabon's urban population share of 84% is the highest in Africa while Burundi (15%) has the lowest share
  • Gabon (84%) is Africa’s most urbanised country, while Burundi (15%) is the least.
  • Five of the top 10 urbanised African countries have an urban share above 75%.
  • Small island nations like Cabo Verde (79%) and Sao Tome & Principe (78%) rank highly, reflecting their concentrated settlements.
  • Resource-rich countries like Libya (78%), Botswana (76%), and Algeria (74%) show strong urbanisation patterns.
  • Ethiopia (23%) and Uganda (30%) highlight the urbanisation gap among high-population countries.
  • Nigeria sits at 55%, ranked 19th, reflecting moderate urbanisation compared to other African giants.
  • Most of the bottom 10 countries, such as Malawi (20%), Niger (18%), and Rwanda (18%), are still heavily rural, signalling slower urban development.

Africa's urban population, currently at 45%, is forecasted to exceed 50% by 2035
  • Africa’s urban population has grown more than twelvefold, from 53 million in 1960 to nearly 700 million by 2025.
  • The share of Africans living in urban areas has risen from 18.7% in 1960 to 45% in 2025, and is projected to hit 57% by 2045.
  • Africa will reach a 50% urban population by 2035, where half of its population will reside in cities.
  • From 2000 to 2025, Africa’s urban population nearly tripled, highlighting the intensity of recent growth.
  • By 2045, 1.3 billion Africans will live in urban centres, making city development central to the continent’s progress.

With a median age of 19 years, Africa has the youngest population, while Europe has the oldest population (43 years)
  • Africa has the youngest population globally, with a median age of 19.3 years.
  • Europe has the oldest population, with a median age of 42.8 years.
  • North America follows closely behind Europe, with a median age of 38.7 years.
  • Oceania’s median age stands at 33.4 years, slightly higher than Asia’s.
  • Asia’s population is relatively younger than Europe and North America, with a 32.5-year median age.
  • The age gap between Africa and Europe is over 23 years, showing the stark global demographic divide.

Western and Eastern Africa together represent over 63% (957B) of the continent's total 1.52 billion population
  • Africa’s population in H1 2025 stood at 1.51 billion.
  • Eastern Africa is the most populous region with 500.7M people (33.0%).
  • Western Africa follows with 456.3M (30.1%).
  • Together, Eastern and Western Africa account for over 63% of Africa’s total population.
  • Southern Africa is the least populous with 73.1M (4.8%).

Africa's population share has accelerated from 9.3% in 1955 to 18.8% in 2025
  • Africa’s share of the global population has more than doubled, from 9.3% in 1955 to an estimated 18.8% in 2025.
  • The most rapid growth has occurred since 2000, increasing from 13.5% to 18.8% over 26 years.
  • Between 1980 and 2000, Africa’s share rose modestly from 10.9% to 13.5%.
  • The most significant 20-year gain occurred between 2000 and 2020, with an increase of 4 percentage points.
  • Population growth in Africa contrasts with stagnation or decline in many other parts of the world.

Lebanon and Nigeria lead global millionaire decline, down 60% and 53% in 10 years amid capital flight
  • Lebanon and Nigeria top the global list, recording millionaire population declines of -60% and -53% respectively over the past decade.
  • Three African countries, Nigeria (-53%), Angola (-36%), and South Africa (-12%), appear in the top 10, signalling a regional pattern of wealth erosion.
  • Pakistan (-40%), Egypt (-26%), and Argentina (-22%) rank among the top 10, showing that sharp millionaire losses extend beyond Africa into Asia and Latin America.
  • The average millionaire decline across the top 10 countries is over 33%, highlighting a widespread erosion of wealth in politically and economically vulnerable regions.

Lagos’ population has grown by about 25% on average every 5 years since 1965
  • Lagos has grown from 325,200 in 1950 to a an estimated 17.2 million in 2025
  • The State’s fastest 5-year growth came between 1955–1960 at 62.7%.
  • Since 2000, growth has steadied around 18–20% every 5 years.
  • More than 10 million people added between 2000 and 2025 alone.
  • Growth continues to outstrip investments in housing, transport, and basic services.

By 2054, India is projected to remain the world’s most populous country, growing by 17.1% from 2024 to reach 1.69 billion people
Key Takeaways:
  • India is projected to remain the world’s most populous country in 2054, reaching 1.69 billion, an increase of 246 million from 2024.
  • China’s population is expected to decline to 1.22 billion by 2054, marking a 14.1% decrease.
  • Nigeria is projected to rise to 5th place globally, with a population of 374 million, a 62% increase from 2024.
  • The United States remains the only high-income country in the top five, with a projected population of 384 million.
  • Pakistan is expected to climb from 5th to 3rd place, adding 138 million people by 2054.
  • Three African countries (Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo) are expected to rank among the top 10 most populous nations.
  • Russia is projected to see a population decline of 6.9%.

By 2100, seven African nations are expected to rank among the world’s 15 most populous countries, with Nigeria’s population projected to more than double
Key Takeaways:
  • India is projected to remain the world’s most populous country in 2100, with 1.5 billion people, a 4.5% increase from 2024.
  • China’s population is expected to fall sharply by 55.1% to 638.7 million, less than half of its 2024 population.
  • Pakistan's population is expected to nearly double by 2100.
  • Nigeria is projected to become the world’s fourth most populous country by 2100, with a population of more than 470 million.
  • Seven of the 15 most populous countries in 2100 are expected to be in Africa.
  • The United States is projected to rank sixth globally by 2100 from its current third position, despite a 22.2% expected population increase from 2024.
  • Together, the top 15 countries are expected to account for 57.9% of the global population by 2100.
  • The total world population is projected to reach 10.19 billion by the end of the century.

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