Demographics of Africa
The population of Africa has grown rapidly over the past century and consequently shows a large youth bulge, further reinforced by a low life expectancy of below 50 years in some African countries. Total population as of 2020 is estimated to be more than 1.3 billion, with a growth rate of more than 2.5% p.a. The total fertility rate (births per woman) for Africa is 4.7 as of 2018, the highest in the world according to the World Bank. The most populous African country is Nigeria with over 206 million inhabitants as of 2020 and a growth rate of 2.6% p.a. Population Genetics History Alternative Estimates of African Population, 0–2018 AD (in thousands) Source: Maddison and others. (University of Groningen). Shares of Africa and World Population, 0–2020 AD (% of world total) Source: Maddison and others (University of Groningen) and others. Vital Statistics 1950–2021AD Registration of vital events in most of Africa is incomplete. The website Our World in Data prepared the following estimates based on statistics from the Population Department of the United Nations. Population density The Sahara Desert, covering most of North Africa, and the smaller Kalahari Desert in Southern Africa, are very sparsely populated. Heavily populated areas include the Mediterranean Sea coast, the Nile River valley and delta, Nigeria and vicinity and the southern coast of West Africa, Ethiopia, the greater East African Rift area, Madagascar, coastal and urban South Africa, and the Middle Africa megacities of Kinshasa and Luanda. Population growth The population of Africa was 177 million in 1950, and it grew 7.6 times to more than 1.341 billion in 2020. The increase in population is explosive, with a population under the age of 14 in the exponential growth phase, a difference from almost the rest of the world, which is already in balance (United States 1966, Europe 1969, Mexico 1990, Latin America 2000, India 2009, Asia 1977). As of 2019, the total population of Africa is estimated at 1.3 billion, representing 16 percent of the world's population. According to UN estimates, the population of Africa may reach 2.49 billion by 2050 (about 26% of the world's total) and 4.28 billion by 2100 (about 39% of the world's total). The number of babies born in Africa compared to the rest of the world is expected to reach approximately 37% in the year 2050. The population of Africa first surpassed one billion in 2009, with a doubling time of 27 years (growth rate 2.6% p.a.). Population growth has continued at almost the same pace, and total population is expected to surpass 2 billion by 2038 (doubling time 29 years, 2.4% p.a.). Sub-Saharan Africa are expected to make more than half of the global population increase projected through 2050. The reason for the uncontrolled population growth since the mid 20th century is the decrease of infant mortality and general increase of life expectancy without a corresponding reduction in fertility rate, due to a very limited use of contraceptives. Further factors generally associated with decreased fertility include wealth,