African Population 2023

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African Population 2023

African Population: Current Figures, Facts, and Future Projections

Africa is one of the most populous regions in the world, with a rich diversity of cultures, languages, and traditions. As of Monday, November 7, 2022, the population of Africa stands at 1,415,921,350, according to the latest estimates from the United Nations. In this article, we will explore some interesting facts, figures and trends about the population of Africa.

Africa’s Population: How It Compares

Africa accounts for approximately 16.72% of the world’s population, making it the second most populous region after Asia. With a total land area of 29,648,481 Km2 (11,447,338 sq. miles), Africa’s population density is relatively low, with an average of 45 people per Km2 (117 people per mi2).

The Most Populous Countries in Africa

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, with an estimated population of over 206 million people. Other populous countries in Africa include Ethiopia (117 million), Egypt (101 million), the Democratic Republic of Congo (97 million), and South Africa (60 million).

Urbanization in Africa

Urbanization is a growing trend in Africa, with 43.8% of the population living in urban areas as of 2019. This means that out of 1,415,921,350 people, approximately 587,737,793 live in cities and towns. The trend towards urbanization is expected to continue, with some estimates projecting that by 2050, over 60% of Africans will live in cities.

The Median Age in Africa

The median age in Africa is 19.7 years, which is significantly lower than the global median age of 30 years. This means that the population of Africa is relatively young, with a high proportion of children and young adults. This presents both opportunities and challenges for the region, as young people represent a potential demographic dividend but also require significant investments in education, health, and job creation.

African Subregions

Area

Population (2020)

Eastern Africa

(445,405,606)

Western Africa

(401,861,254)

Northern Africa

(246,232,518)

Middle Africa

(179,595,134)

Southern Africa

(67,503,635)

African Population in 2020 and it’s Historical

Year Population Annual %
Change		 Annual
Change		 Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban
Pop. %		 Urban Population Africa’s
Share of
World Pop.		 World Population Africa
Rank
2020 1,340,598,147 2.54 % 31,631,873 -463,024 19.7 4.44 45 43.8 % 587,737,793 18.2 % 7,794,798,739 2
2019 1,308,064,195 2.52 % 32,143,223 -463,024 19.4 4.67 44 43.4 % 567,387,619 17.0 % 7,713,468,100 2
2018 1,275,920,972 2.55 % 31,698,705 -463,024 19.4 4.67 43 42.9 % 547,602,182 16.7 % 7,631,091,040 2
2017 1,244,222,267 2.57 % 31,181,746 -463,024 19.4 4.67 42 42.5 % 528,371,323 16.5 % 7,547,858,925 2
2016 1,213,040,521 2.59 % 30,601,737 -463,024 19.4 4.67 41 42.0 % 509,683,886 16.3 % 7,464,022,049 2
2015 1,182,438,784 2.61 % 28,626,950 -852,257 19.3 4.73 40 41.6 % 491,531,092 17.0 % 7,379,797,139 2
2010 1,039,304,033 2.55 % 24,629,949 -737,408 19.0 4.90 35 39.3 % 408,587,045 15.9 % 6,956,823,603 2
2005 916,154,288 2.47 % 21,034,012 -501,634 18.7 5.08 31 37.2 % 341,033,592 14.9 % 6,541,907,027 2
2000 810,984,226 2.49 % 18,742,830 -492,899 18.3 5.35 27 35.3 % 285,997,612 14.1 % 6,143,493,823 2
1995 717,270,078 2.62 % 17,384,088 -273,654 18.0 5.72 24 33.7 % 241,824,184 13.5 % 5,744,212,979 3
1990 630,349,639 2.82 % 16,344,698 -356,996 17.6 6.19 21 31.7 % 200,111,296 12.9 % 5,327,231,061 3
1985 548,626,148 2.86 % 14,447,975 -415,790 17.5 6.50 19 29.3 % 160,721,947 12.3 % 4,870,921,740 3
1980 476,386,273 2.81 % 12,342,317 -320,088 17.6 6.64 16 27.0 % 128,615,954 11.7 % 4,458,003,514 3
1975 414,674,688 2.67 % 10,245,434 -384,802 17.7 6.70 14 24.9 % 103,198,989 11.2 % 4,079,480,606 3
1970 363,447,518 2.57 % 8,660,052 -262,524 17.9 6.71 12 22.7 % 82,637,370 10.9 % 3,700,437,046 3
1965 320,147,257 2.47 % 7,357,210 -207,336 18.2 6.70 11 12.9 % 41,419,217 10.5 % 3,339,583,597 3
1960 283,361,209 2.31 % 6,122,461 -147,227 18.7 6.62 10 18.7 % 53,008,425 10.2 % 3,034,949,748 3
1955 252,748,903 2.10 % 4,990,953 -121,937 19.0 6.57 9 16.4 % 41,419,217 10.0 % 2,773,019,936 3

Source: The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division provided an in-depth analysis of data in their report titled “World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision” using the medium-fertility variant. 

African Population Future Forecast

Year Population Annual %
Change		 Annual
Change		 Migrants (net) Median Age Fertility Rate Density (P/Km²) Urban
Pop. %		 Urban Population Africa’s
Share of
World Pop.		 World Population Africa
Rank
2020 1,340,598,147 2.54 % 31,631,873 -463,024 19.7 4.44 45 43.8 % 587,737,793 18.2 % 7,794,798,739 2
2025 1,508,935,218 2.39 % 33,667,414 -526,482 20.3 4.48 51 46.3 % 698,148,943 19.4 % 8,184,437,460 2
2030 1,688,321,099 2.27 % 35,877,176 -428,916 21.1 4.53 57 48.8 % 824,013,801 20.6 % 8,548,487,400 2
2035 1,878,193,685 2.15 % 37,974,517 -388,948 22.0 4.57 63 51.4 % 966,329,885 21.1 % 8,887,524,213 2
2040 2,076,749,529 2.03 % 39,711,169 -394,566 22.9 4.61 70 54.2 % 1,125,161,515 23.4 % 9,198,847,240 2
2045 2,281,452,464 1.90 % 40,940,587 -396,090 23.9 4.65 77 57.0 % 1,299,953,249 24.8 % 9,481,803,274 2
2050 2,489,275,458 1.76 % 41,564,599 -396,260 24.8 4.69 84 59.8 % 1,488,920,045 26.3 % 9,735,033,990 2

Source: The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division provided an in-depth analysis of data in their report titled “World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision” using the medium-fertility variant. 

Understanding the Demographics of Africa: Key Terms Explained

Year

The term “year” refers to the period from July 1 of the year indicated. This period is used as a reference point for all demographic data related to Africa.

Population

The population refers to the overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the region as of July 1 of the year indicated. The United Nations estimates this data, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division using the World Population Prospects: The 2019 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.

Yearly (Annual) % Change

The yearly % change is the percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019) for 2019. For all other years, the latest year’s annual percentage change is equivalent to assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five-year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly (Annual) Change

The yearly change refers to the absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in the number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019) 2019. For all other years, it is the average annual numerical change over the preceding five-year period.

Migrants (net)

Migrants (net) refer to the average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five-year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five-year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age

The median age is the age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate

The fertility rate (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR) is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the countries within Africa, assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²)

Density (P/Km²) refers to the population density or the population per square kilometer (Km²) in a given region.

Urban Pop %

The urban pop % is the percentage of the urban population in relation to the total population in a given region.

Urban Population

The urban population refers to the population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Africa’s Share of World Pop

Asia’s share of world pop refers to the total population of Asia as a percentage of the entire world population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population

The world population refers to the total population of the world as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank

The global rank is the position held by Africa in the list of all regions worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.

By understanding these key terms, one can gain a deeper understanding of the demographics of Africa and how they relate to the rest of the world.

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Sources:

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