Africa is home to 1.54 billion people in 2025. According to World Bank data and the United Nations World Population Prospects 2024 projections, the continent should reach 1.72 billion by 2030 and 2.45 billion by 2050 — a 1.6-fold increase in twenty-five years. This ranking of all 53 African countries by population places each one within that trajectory, with its growth since 2020, its continental demographic weight, its 2050 projection, its fertility rate and its urbanisation level.
Nigeria remains by far the continent’s largest demographic reservoir with 237.5 million people, ahead of Ethiopia (135.5 M) and Egypt (118.4 M). But the real African demographic story of 2026 is not at the top of the table — it is in the pace. DR Congo has added 16.8 million inhabitants in five years, Chad grew 22.1 % and Niger 17.7 %. At the other end, Mauritius is the only country on the continent losing population (-7.7 % since 2020), while Tunisia managed just 2.5 %.
The 2026 ranking of African countries by population
Table sorted by total population (World Bank, SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 — the latest complete year available). The 2030 and 2050 columns are the United Nations medium-variant projections (WPP 2024). Fertility is the average number of children per woman (2023); urbanisation is the share of the population living in urban areas (2025).
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| Country | Population 2025 (M) | Change 2020→2025 | Share of Africa | 2030 projection (M) | 2050 projection (M) | Growth 2025→2050 | Fertility 2023 | Urbanisation 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Nigeria | 237.5 | +11.0 % | 15.41 % | 262.4 | 359.2 | +51.2 % | 4.48 | 63.8 |
| 2. Ethiopia | 135.5 | +14.0 % | 8.79 % | 152.9 | 225.0 | +66.1 % | 3.99 | 24.1 |
| 3. Egypt | 118.4 | +8.3 % | 7.68 % | 127.1 | 161.6 | +36.5 % | 2.75 | 42.9 |
| 4. DR Congo | 112.8 | +17.5 % | 7.32 % | 131.5 | 218.2 | +93.4 % | 6.05 | 45.1 |
| 5. Tanzania | 70.5 | +15.6 % | 4.57 % | 80.9 | 129.6 | +83.8 % | 4.61 | 36.9 |
| 6. South Africa | 64.7 | +6.8 % | 4.20 % | 68.2 | 79.2 | +22.4 % | 2.22 | 63.8 |
| 7. Kenya | 57.5 | +10.2 % | 3.73 % | 63.1 | 83.6 | +45.4 % | 3.21 | 32.2 |
| 8. Sudan | 51.7 | +10.5 % | 3.35 % | 58.6 | 85.2 | +64.8 % | 4.32 | 34.9 |
| 9. Uganda | 51.4 | +15.5 % | 3.34 % | 58.3 | 85.4 | +66.1 % | 4.28 | 31.9 |
| 10. Algeria | 47.4 | +7.7 % | 3.08 % | 50.2 | 59.6 | +25.7 % | 2.77 | 75.8 |
| 11. Angola | 39.0 | +16.4 % | 2.53 % | 45.2 | 74.3 | +90.5 % | 5.12 | 71.5 |
| 12. Morocco | 38.4 | +4.9 % | 2.49 % | 40.0 | 43.4 | +13.0 % | 2.23 | 63.1 |
| 13. Mozambique | 35.6 | +15.6 % | 2.31 % | 40.8 | 63.5 | +78.4 % | 4.76 | 37.2 |
| 14. Ghana | 35.1 | +10.0 % | 2.28 % | 38.2 | 50.6 | +44.2 % | 3.40 | 58.9 |
| 15. Côte d’Ivoire | 32.7 | +13.1 % | 2.12 % | 36.7 | 55.7 | +70.3 % | 4.28 | 54.5 |
| 16. Madagascar | 32.7 | +12.8 % | 2.12 % | 36.7 | 53.2 | +62.7 % | 3.97 | 32.9 |
| 17. Cameroon | 29.9 | +14.1 % | 1.94 % | 33.8 | 51.1 | +70.9 % | 4.32 | 55.7 |
| 18. Niger | 27.9 | +17.7 % | 1.81 % | 32.5 | 52.5 | +88.2 % | 6.06 | 18.4 |
| 19. Mali | 25.2 | +16.1 % | 1.64 % | 29.0 | 46.2 | +83.3 % | 5.61 | 32.2 |
| 20. Burkina Faso | 24.1 | +12.1 % | 1.56 % | 26.7 | 37.3 | +54.8 % | 4.19 | 28.9 |
| 21. Malawi | 22.2 | +13.8 % | 1.44 % | 25.2 | 37.4 | +68.5 % | 3.65 | 17.6 |
| 22. Zambia | 21.9 | +14.7 % | 1.42 % | 25.0 | 38.1 | +74.0 % | 4.10 | 45.9 |
| 23. Chad | 21.0 | +22.1 % | 1.36 % | 24.2 | 38.9 | +85.2 % | 6.12 | 27.6 |
| 24. Somalia | 19.7 | +18.0 % | 1.28 % | 22.9 | 37.2 | +88.8 % | 6.13 | 55.1 |
| 25. Senegal | 18.9 | +12.5 % | 1.23 % | 21.2 | 30.4 | +60.8 % | 3.82 | 55.8 |
| 26. Zimbabwe | 17.0 | +9.7 % | 1.10 % | 18.6 | 25.9 | +52.4 % | 3.72 | 40.5 |
| 27. Guinea | 15.1 | +12.7 % | 0.98 % | 16.8 | 23.4 | +55.0 % | 4.22 | 38.5 |
| 28. Benin | 14.8 | +13.0 % | 0.96 % | 16.6 | 24.4 | +64.9 % | 4.56 | 53.4 |
| 29. Rwanda | 14.6 | +11.5 % | 0.95 % | 16.2 | 22.7 | +55.5 % | 3.70 | 30.9 |
| 30. Burundi | 14.4 | +14.3 % | 0.93 % | 16.2 | 24.1 | +67.4 % | 4.88 | 25.7 |
| 31. Tunisia | 12.3 | +2.5 % | 0.80 % | 12.6 | 13.1 | +6.5 % | 1.83 | 70.7 |
| 32. South Sudan | 12.2 | +14.0 % | 0.79 % | 13.5 | 18.3 | +50.0 % | 3.86 | 21.7 |
| 33. Sierra Leone | 8.8 | +11.4 % | 0.57 % | 9.7 | 12.9 | +46.6 % | 3.79 | 45.9 |
| 34. Togo | 8.6 | +10.3 % | 0.56 % | 10.8 | 15.6 | +81.4 % | 4.19 | 44.4 |
| 35. Libya | 7.5 | +7.1 % | 0.49 % | 7.9 | 9.3 | +24.0 % | 2.35 | 87.9 |
| 36. Republic of the Congo | 6.5 | +12.1 % | 0.42 % | 7.3 | 11.0 | +69.2 % | 4.16 | 64.1 |
| 37. Liberia | 5.7 | +11.8 % | 0.37 % | 6.4 | 8.9 | +56.1 % | 3.95 | 56.1 |
| 38. Mauritania | 5.3 | +15.2 % | 0.34 % | 6.1 | 9.4 | +77.4 % | 4.70 | 61.5 |
| 39. Eritrea | 3.6 | +9.1 % | 0.23 % | 4.0 | 5.7 | +58.3 % | 3.71 | 34.5 |
| 40. Namibia | 3.1 | +14.8 % | 0.20 % | 3.4 | 4.5 | +45.2 % | 3.21 | 50.9 |
| 41. Gambia | 2.8 | +12.0 % | 0.18 % | 3.1 | 4.3 | +53.6 % | 4.01 | 65.0 |
| 42. Botswana | 2.6 | +8.3 % | 0.17 % | 2.8 | 3.4 | +30.8 % | 2.73 | 68.0 |
| 43. Gabon | 2.6 | +13.0 % | 0.17 % | 2.9 | 4.1 | +57.7 % | 3.65 | 92.1 |
| 44. Lesotho | 2.4 | +9.1 % | 0.16 % | 2.5 | 3.0 | +25.0 % | 2.69 | 44.7 |
| 45. Guinea-Bissau | 2.2 | +10.0 % | 0.14 % | 2.5 | 3.4 | +54.5 % | 3.84 | 46.7 |
| 46. Equatorial Guinea | 1.9 | +11.8 % | 0.12 % | 2.2 | 3.1 | +63.2 % | 4.08 | 71.6 |
| 47. Eswatini | 1.3 | +8.3 % | 0.08 % | 1.3 | 1.5 | +15.4 % | 2.75 | 26.7 |
| 48. Djibouti | 1.2 | +9.1 % | 0.08 % | 1.3 | 1.5 | +25.0 % | 2.61 | 73.0 |
| 49. Mauritius | 1.2 | -7.7 % | 0.08 % | 1.3 | 1.1 | -8.3 % | 1.40 | 39.0 |
| 50. Comoros | 0.9 | +12.5 % | 0.06 % | 1.0 | 1.3 | +44.4 % | 3.88 | 33.9 |
| 51. Cape Verde | 0.5 | 0.0 % | 0.03 % | 0.5 | 0.6 | +20.0 % | 1.52 | 77.6 |
| 52. São Tomé and Príncipe | 0.2 | 0.0 % | 0.01 % | 0.3 | 0.4 | +100.0 % | 3.64 | 69.2 |
| 53. Seychelles | 0.1 | 0.0 % | 0.01 % | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 % | 2.18 | 45.5 |
Population in millions. “Change 2020→2025” is the variation in total population between 2020 and 2025. “Share of Africa” is the country’s weight in the combined population of the 53 countries listed. Sources: World Bank and United Nations (WPP 2024, medium variant), accessed November 2026.
Five countries, one fifth of the continent
The top five — Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, DR Congo and Tanzania — account for 43.8 % of Africa’s population, roughly 674.7 million people. By 2050 these five should hold 1.09 billion, more than the entire continent holds today (1,541.1 M).
That concentration also shapes the continent’s economic geography. Nigeria, the most populous country with 15.4 % of all Africans, is an early warning signal for the currency and food pressures running through the region: real GDP growth has not been fast enough to absorb 11.0 % population growth in five years. Egypt, by contrast, packs 118.4 million people into less than 5 % of its territory — the other model, where slower demographic growth (+8.3 % since 2020, half Nigeria’s pace) still means extreme territorial pressure.
The real signal: pace and fertility
The variable that drives everything is not size but the fertility rate. Three countries still exceed 6 children per woman — Somalia (6.13), Chad (6.12) and Niger (6.06) — while Mauritius (1.40), Cape Verde (1.52) and Tunisia (1.83) have fallen below generational replacement. A gap of 4.7 children per woman between Somalia and Mauritius is the difference between a country doubling its population in a generation and one that is ageing.
The 2050 projections carry the mechanical mark of those gaps. DR Congo is set to add 105.4 million people by 2050 (+93.4 %), Tanzania 59.1 million (+83.8 %), while South Africa adds 14.5 million (+22.4 %) and Tunisia 0.8 million (+6.5 %). That is where the demographic dividend question is decided: a population growing 90 % in 25 years is only an asset if jobs, schools and infrastructure keep pace.
Three related rankings on Les Afriques
- GDP per capita in Africa 2026: the 52-country ranking — wealth per head, the one indicator that neutralises country size.
- The real price of mobile data across Africa — what connectivity costs a population that keeps doubling.
Frequently asked questions
Which is the most populous country in Africa in 2026?
Nigeria, with 237.5 million inhabitants in 2025, far ahead of Ethiopia (135.5 M) and Egypt (118.4 M). The country alone accounts for 15.4 % of Africa’s population and should reach 359.2 million by 2050 according to the United Nations.
How many people live in Africa in 2026?
About 1.54 billion across the continent’s 53 sovereign countries, based on 2025 World Bank data — the latest complete year published at the time of this update. UN projections point to 1.72 billion by 2030 and 2.45 billion by 2050.
Which African countries will be the most populous in 2050?
Nigeria would stay first with 359.2 million, ahead of Ethiopia (225.0 M), DR Congo (218.2 M) and Egypt (161.6 M). DR Congo and Tanzania are the two fastest-growing countries in the top five in relative terms, at +93.4 % and +83.8 % respectively by 2050.
Which African country is losing population?
Mauritius is the only country on the continent to shrink over 2020-2025, falling from 1.3 to 1.2 million inhabitants (-7.7 %). Its fertility rate of 1.40 children per woman is the lowest in Africa. Tunisia (2.5 %) and Morocco (4.9 %) are the two other countries with near-zero growth.
Which African countries have the fastest population growth?
Over 2020-2025, Chad leads (+22.1 %), ahead of Somalia (+18.0 %), Niger (+17.7 %), DR Congo (+17.5 %) and Angola (+16.4 %). All five combine fertility above 4.5 children per woman with a very young age structure.
Why do population projections differ between sources?
The IMF publishes a population series (LP) used in its macroeconomic ratios, built on older estimates for some countries. For Ethiopia the gap is significant: about 112 million on the IMF series versus 135.5 million on World Bank data (2025). This ranking uses the World Bank as its demographic reference and the United Nations for projections, because those are the specialised sources on the subject.
Methodology and sources
Scope. The 53 recognised sovereign countries and territories of the African continent, including Seychelles, São Tomé and Príncipe, Cape Verde and the Comoros. Western Sahara is not counted separately for lack of harmonised data. The continental total of 1,541.1 million is the sum of the 53 countries listed — it may differ by a few million from “Africa” figures published by institutions, which sometimes include other territories.
Population. World Bank, indicator SP.POP.TOTL (total population), year 2025, last updated October 2026 — data.worldbank.org.
2030 and 2050 projections. United Nations, World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant — population.un.org/wpp. Projections are scenarios, not forecasts: they assume fertility, mortality and migration trends continue.
Fertility and urbanisation. World Bank, indicators SP.DYN.TFRT.IN (total fertility rate, 2023) and SP.URB.TOTL.IN.ZS (urban population, % of total, 2025).
Stated limitations. African censuses are irregular: several countries have not held one in over a decade, and the series are modelled estimates rather than counts. Ethiopia illustrates these divergences (IMF and World Bank figures differ by more than 20 million people). Countries in conflict — Sudan, Somalia, DR Congo — see population movements that models capture poorly. The figures should be read as robust orders of magnitude for ranking purposes, not as exact counts.
Spotted an error? Write to us: [email protected]. Last updated: November 2026.
This ranking is provided for information only. It does not constitute investment, financial or legal advice.
