Africa has the youngest population in the world. Among the 35 countries with the lowest median age worldwide, only three fall outside the continent. In 2023, the median age in Niger was 15.1 years, the youngest country. This means that at this age point, half of the population was younger and half older. A young population reflects several demographic characteristics of a country. For instance, together with a high population growth, life expectancy in Western Africa is low: this reached 57 years for men and 59 for women. Overall, Africa has the lowest life expectancy in the world.

Africa’s population is still growing Africa’s population growth can be linked to a high fertility rate along with a drop in death rates. Despite the fertility rate on the continent, following a constant declining trend, it remains far higher compared to all other regions worldwide. It was forecast to reach 4.12 children per woman, compared to a worldwide average of 2.31 children per woman in 2024. Furthermore, the crude death rate in Africa overall dropped, only increasing slightly during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The largest populations on the continent Nigeria, Ethiopia, Egypt, and the Democratic Republic of Congo are the most populous African countries. In 2023, people living in Nigeria amounted to around 224 million, while the number for the three other countries exceeded 100 million each. Of those, the Democratic Republic of Congo sustained the fourth-highest fertility rate in Africa. Nigeria and Ethiopia also had high rates, with 5.24 and 4.16 births per woman, respectively. Although such a high fertility rate is expected to slow down, it will still impact the population structure, growing younger nations.

In 2021, there were around 207 million children aged 0-4 years in Africa. In total, the population aged 17 years and younger amounted to approximately 650 million. In contrast, only approximately 48 million individuals were aged 65 years and older as of the same year. The youngest continent in the world Africa is the continent with the youngest population worldwide. As of 2023, around 40 percent of the population was aged 15 years and younger, compared to a global average of 25 percent. Although the median age on the continent has been increasing annually, it remains low at around 20 years. There are several reasons behind the low median age. One factor is the low life expectancy at birth: On average, the male and female population in Africa live between 61 and 65 years, respectively. In addition, poor healthcare on the continent leads to high mortality, also among children and newborns, while the high fertility rate contributes to lowering the median age. Cross-country demographic differences Africa’s demographic characteristics are not uniform across the continent. The age structure of the population differs significantly from one country to another. For instance, Niger and Uganda have the lowest median age in Africa, at 15.1 and 16.1 years, respectively. Not surprisingly, these countries also register a high crude birth rate. On the other hand, North Africa is the region recording the highest life expectancy at birth, with Algeria leading the ranking in 2023.

In 2024, the median age in Africa was 19.2 years, meaning that half of the population was older and half was younger than that age. The median age on the continent increased compared to 2000 when it was around 17 years. Africa is the youngest continent in the world and presents the highest share of inhabitants aged 14 years and younger, that is, 40 percent of the total population. Niger, Uganda, and Angola were the countries with the youngest population in Africa as of 2023.

Globally, about 25 percent of the population is under 15 years of age and 10 percent is over 65 years of age. Africa has the youngest population worldwide. In Sub-Saharan Africa, more than 40 percent of the population is below 15 years, and only three percent are above 65, indicating the low life expectancy in several of the countries. In Europe, on the other hand, a higher share of the population is above 65 years than the population under 15 years. Fertility rates The high share of children and youth in Africa is connected to the high fertility rates on the continent. For instance, South Sudan and Niger have the highest population growth rates globally. However, about 50 percent of the world’s population live in countries with low fertility, where women have less than 2.1 children. Some countries in Europe, like Latvia and Lithuania, have experienced a population decline of one percent, and in the Cook Islands, it is even above two percent. In Europe, the majority of the population was previously working-aged adults with few dependents, but this trend is expected to reverse soon, and it is predicted that by 2050, the older population will outnumber the young in many developed countries. Growing global population As of 2025, there are 8.1 billion people living on the planet, and this is expected to reach more than nine billion before 2040. Moreover, the global population is expected to reach 10 billions around 2060, before slowing and then even falling slightly by 2100. As the population growth rates indicate, a significant share of the population increase will happen in Africa.

South Africa ZA: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data was reported at 44.137 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 44.469 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data is updated yearly, averaging 69.827 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 78.491 % in 1966 and a record low of 44.137 % in 2017. South Africa ZA: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

In 2023, the population of Africa was projected to grow by 2.34 percent compared to the previous year. The population growth rate on the continent has been constantly over 2.3 percent from 2000 onwards, and it peaked at 2.59 percent between 2012 and 2013. Despite a slowdown in the growth rate, the continent's population will continue to increase significantly in the coming years. The second-largest population worldwide In 2022, the total population of Africa amounted to around 1.4 billion. The number of inhabitants had grown steadily in the previous decades, rising from approximately 810 million in 2000. Driven by a decreasing mortality rate and a higher life expectancy at birth, the African population was forecast to increase to about 2.5 billion individuals by 2050. Africa is currently the second most populous continent worldwide after Asia. However, forecasts showed that Africa could gradually close the gap and almost reach the size of the Asian population in 2100. By that year, Africa might count 3.9 billion people, compared to 4.7 billion in Asia. The world's youngest continent The median age in Africa corresponded to 18.8 years in 2023. Although the median age has increased in recent years, the continent remains the youngest worldwide. In 2023, roughly 40 percent of the African population was aged 15 years and younger, compared to a global average of 25 percent. Africa recorded not only the highest share of youth but also the smallest elderly population worldwide. As of the same year, only three percent of Africa's population was aged 65 years and older. Africa and Latin America were the only regions below the global average of 10 percent. On the continent, Niger, Uganda, and Angola were the countries with the youngest population in 2023.

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. As of 2024, the country counted over 232.6 million individuals, whereas Ethiopia, which ranked second, has around 132 million inhabitants. Egypt registered the largest population in North Africa, reaching nearly 116 million people. In terms of inhabitants per square kilometer, Nigeria only ranks seventh, while Mauritius has the highest population density on the whole African continent. The fastest-growing world region Africa is the second most populous continent in the world, after Asia. Nevertheless, Africa records the highest growth rate worldwide, with figures rising by over two percent every year. In some countries, such as Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad, the population increase peaks at over three percent. With so many births, Africa is also the youngest continent in the world. However, this coincides with a low life expectancy. African cities on the rise The last decades have seen high urbanization rates in Asia, mainly in China and India. However, African cities are currently growing at larger rates. Indeed, most of the fastest-growing cities in the world are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gwagwalada, in Nigeria, and Kabinda, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ranked first worldwide. By 2035, instead, Africa's fastest-growing cities are forecast to be Bujumbura, in Burundi, and Zinder, Nigeria.

South Africa ZA: Population: Female: Ages 35-39: % of Female Population data was reported at 7.063 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 6.927 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Population: Female: Ages 35-39: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5.849 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.063 % in 2017 and a record low of 5.200 % in 1983. South Africa ZA: Population: Female: Ages 35-39: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 35 to 39 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

South Africa is expected to register the highest unemployment rate in Africa in 2024, with around 30 percent of the country's labor force being unemployed. Djibouti and Eswatini followed, with unemployment reaching roughly 28 percent and 25 percent, respectively. On the other hand, the lowest unemployment rates in Africa were in Niger and Burundi. The continent’s average stood at roughly seven percent in the same year.

Large shares of youth among the unemployed

Due to several educational, socio-demographic, and economic factors, the young population is more likely to face unemployment in most regions of the world. In 2024, the youth unemployment rate in Africa was projected at around 11 percent. The situation was particularly critical in certain countries. In 2022, Djibouti recorded a youth unemployment rate of almost 80 percent, the highest rate on the continent. South Africa followed, with around 52 percent of the young labor force being unemployed.

Wide disparities in female unemployment

Women are another demographic group often facing high unemployment. In Africa, the female unemployment rate stood at roughly eight percent in 2023, compared to 6.6 percent among men. The average female unemployment on the continent was not particularly high. However, there were significant disparities among African countries. Djibouti and South Africa topped the ranking once again in 2022, with female unemployment rates of around 38 percent and 31 percent, respectively. In contrast, Niger, Burundi, and Chad were far below Africa’s average, as only roughly one percent or lower of the women in the labor force were unemployed.

South Africa ZA: Share of Youth Not in Education, Employment or Training: Total: % of Youth Population data was reported at 31.150 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 31.220 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Share of Youth Not in Education, Employment or Training: Total: % of Youth Population data is updated yearly, averaging 31.265 % from Dec 2012 (Median) to 2017, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 32.210 % in 2012 and a record low of 30.500 % in 2015. South Africa ZA: Share of Youth Not in Education, Employment or Training: Total: % of Youth Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Share of youth not in education, employment or training (NEET) is the proportion of young people who are not in education, employment, or training to the population of the corresponding age group: youth (ages 15 to 24); persons ages 15 to 29; or both age groups.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average;

According to the forecast, Africa's total population would reach nearly 2.5 billion by 2050. In 2023, the continent had around 1.36 billion inhabitants, with Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Egypt as the most populous countries. In the coming years, Africa will experience significant population growth and will close the gap significantly with the Asian population by 2100. Rapid population growth The population of Africa has been increasing annually in recent years, growing from around 818 million to over 1.39 billion between 2000 and 2021, respectively. In the same period, the annual growth rate of the population has been constantly set at roughly 2.5 percent, with a peak of 2.62 percent in 2014. The reasons behind this rapid growth are various. One factor is the high fertility rate registered in African countries. In 2021, a woman in Niger had an average of over 6.8 children in her reproductive years, the highest rate on the continent. High fertility resulted in a large young population and partly compensated for the high mortality rate in Africa, leading to fast-paced population growth. High poverty levels Africa’s population is concerned with widespread poverty. In 2024, over 429 million people on the continent are extremely poor and live with less than 2.15 U.S. dollars per day. Globally, Africa is the continent hosting the highest poverty rate. In 2024, the countries of Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo account for around 21 percent of the world's population living in extreme poverty. Nevertheless, poverty in Africa is forecast to decrease in the coming years.

As of 2024, South Africa's population increased, counting approximately 63 million inhabitants. Of these, roughly 27.5 million were aged 0-24, while 654,000 people were 80 years or older. Gauteng and Cape Town are the most populated Although South Africa’s yearly population growth has been dropping since 2013, the growth rate still stood above the world average in 2021. That year, the global population increase reached 0.94 percent, while for South Africa, the rise was 1.23 percent. The majority of the people lived in the borders of Gauteng, the smallest of the nine provinces in land area. The number of people residing there amounted to 15.9 million in 2021. Although Western Cape was the third-largest province, one of it cities, Cape Town, had the highest number of inhabitants in the country, at 3.4 million. An underemployed younger population South Africa has a large population under 14, who will be looking for job opportunities in the future. However, the country's labor market has had difficulty integrating these youngsters. Specifically, as of the third quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate reached close to 60 percent and 42.9 percent among people aged 15-24 and 25-34 years, respectively. In the same period, some 25 percent of the individuals between 15 and 24 years were economically active, while the labor force participation rate was higher among people aged 25 to 34, at 71.2 percent.

Abstract

The multi-country Study on Global Ageing and Adult Health (SAGE) is run by the World Health Organization's Multi-Country Studies unit in the Health Systems and Innovation Cluster. SAGE is part of the unit's Longitudinal Study Programme which is compiling longitudinal data on the health and well-being of adult populations, and the ageing process, through primary data collection and secondary data analysis. SAGE baseline data (Wave 0, 2002/3) was collected as part of WHO's World Health Survey http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/en/index.html (WHS). SAGE Wave 2 (2014/15) provides a comprehensive data set on the health and well-being of adults in six low and middle-income countries: China, Ghana, India, Mexico, Russian Federation and South Africa.

Objectives: To obtain reliable, valid and comparable health, health-related and well-being data over a range of key domains for adult and older adult populations in nationally representative samples To examine patterns and dynamics of age-related changes in health and well-being using longitudinal follow-up of a cohort as they age, and to investigate socio-economic consequences of these health changes To supplement and cross-validate self-reported measures of health and the anchoring vignette approach to improving comparability of self-reported measures, through measured performance tests for selected health domains To collect health examination and biomarker data that improves reliability of morbidity and risk factor data and to objectively monitor the effect of interventions

Additional Objectives: To generate large cohorts of older adult populations and comparison cohorts of younger populations for following-up intermediate outcomes, monitoring trends, examining transitions and life events, and addressing relationships between determinants and health, well-being and health-related outcomes To develop a mechanism to link survey data to demographic surveillance site data To build linkages with other national and multi-country ageing studies To improve the methodologies to enhance the reliability and validity of health outcomes and determinants data To provide a public-access information base to engage all stakeholders, including national policy makers and health systems planners, in planning and decision-making processes about the health and well-being of older adults

Methods: SAGE's first full round of data collection included both follow-up and new respondents in most participating countries. The goal of the sampling design was to obtain a nationally representative cohort of persons aged 50 years and older, with a smaller cohort of persons aged 18 to 49 for comparison purposes. In the older households, all persons aged 50+ years (for example, spouses and siblings) were invited to participate. Proxy respondents were identified for respondents who were unable to respond for themselves. Standardized SAGE survey instruments were used in all countries consisting of five main parts: 1) household questionnaire; 2) individual questionnaire; 3) proxy questionnaire; 4) verbal autopsy questionnaire; and, 5) appendices including showcards. A VAQ was completed for deaths in the household over the last 24 months. The procedures for including country-specific adaptations to the standardized questionnaire and translations into local languages from English follow those developed by and used for the World Health Survey.

Content: - Household questionnaire 0000 Coversheet 0100 Sampling Information 0200 Geocoding and GPS Information 0300 Recontact Information 0350 Contact Record 0400 Household Roster 0450 Kish Tables and Household Consent 0500 Housing 0600 Household and Family Support Networks and Transfers 0700 Assets and Household Income 0800 Household Expenditures 0900 Interviewer Observations

• Verbal Autopsy questionnaire Section 1: Information on the Deceased and Date/Place of Death Section 1A7: Vital Registration and Certification Section 2: Information on the Respondent Section 3A: Medical History Associated with Final Illness Section 3B: General Signs and Symptoms Associated with Final Illness Section 3E: History of Injuries/Accidents Section 3G: Health Service Utilization Section 4: Background Section 5A: Interviewer Observations

• Individual questionnaire 1000 Socio-Demographic Characteristics 1500 Work History and Benefits 2000 Health State Descriptions 2500 Anthropometrics, Performance Tests and Biomarkers 3000 Risk Factors and Preventive Health Behaviours 4000 Chronic Conditions and Health Services Coverage 5000 Health Care Utilisation 6000 Social Networks 7000 Subjective Well-Being and Quality of Life (WHOQoL-8 and Day Reconstruction Method) 8000 Impact of Caregiving 9000 Interviewer Assessment

• Proxy Questionnaire Section1 Respondent Characteristics and IQ CODE Section2 Health State Descriptions Section4 Chronic Conditions and Health Services Coverage Section5 Health Care Utilisation

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

households and individuals

Universe

The household section of the survey covered all households in 31 of the 32 federal states in Mexico. Colima was excluded. Institutionalised populations are excluded. The individual section covered all persons aged 18 years and older residing within individual households. As the focus of SAGE is older adults, a much larger sample of respondents aged 50 years and older was selected with a smaller comparative sample of respondents aged 18-49 years.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

In Mexico strata were defined by locality (metropolitan, urban, rural). All 211 PSUs selected for wave 1 were included in the wave 2 sample. A sub-sample of 211 PSUs was selected from the 797 WHS PSUs for the wave 1 sample. The Basic Geo-Statistical Areas (AGEB) defined by the National Institute of Statistics (INEGI) constitutes a PSU. PSUs were selected probability proportional to three factors: a) (WHS/SAGE Wave 0 50plus): number of WHS/SAGE Wave 0 50-plus interviewed at the PSU, b) (State Population): population of the state to which the PSU belongs, c) (WHS/SAGE Wave 0 PSU at county): number of PSUs selected from the county to which the PSU belongs for the WHS/SAGE Wave 0 The first and third factors were included to reduce geographic dispersion. Factor two affords states with larger populations a greater chance of selection.

All WHS/SAGE Wave 0 individuals aged 50 years or older in the selected rural or urban PSUs and a random sample 90% of individuals aged 50 years or older in metropolitan PSUs who had been interviewed for the WHS/SAGE Wave 0 were included in the SAGE Wave 1 ''primary'' sample. The remaining 10% of WHS/SAGE Wave 0 individuals aged 50 years or older in metropolitan areas were then allocated as a ''replacement'' sample for individuals who could not be contacted or did not consent to participate in SAGE Wave 1. A systematic sample of 1000 WHS/SAGE Wave 0 individuals aged 18-49 across all selected PSUs was selected as the ''primary'' sample and 500 as a ''replacement'' sample.

This selection process resulted in a sample which had an over-representation of individuals from metropolitan strata; therefore, it was decided to increase the number of individuals aged 50 years or older from rural and urban strata. This was achieved by including individuals who had not been part of WHS/SAGE Wave 0 (which became a ''supplementary'' sample), although the household in which they lived included an individual from WHS/SAGE Wave 0. All individuals aged 50 or over were included from rural and urban ''18-49 households'' (that is, where an individual aged 18-49 was included in WHS/SAGE Wave 0) as part of the ''primary supplementary'' sample. A systematic random sample of individuals aged 50 years or older was then obtained from urban and rural households where an individual had already been selected as part of the 50 years and older or 18-49 samples. These individuals then formed part of the ''primary supplementary'' sample and the remainder (that is, those not systematically selected) were allocated to the ''replacement supplementary'' sample. Thus, all individuals aged 50 years or older who lived in households in urban and rural PSUs obtained for SAGE Wave 1 were selected as either a primary or replacement participant. A final ''replacement'' sample for the 50 and over age group was obtained from a systematic sample of all individuals aged 50 or over from households which included the individuals already selected for either the 50 and over or 18-49. This sampling strategy also provided participants who had not been included in WHS/SAGE Wave 0, but lived in a household where an individual had been part of WHS/SAGE Wave 0 (that is, the ''supplementary'' sample), in addition to follow-up of individuals who had been included in the WHS/SAGE Wave 0 sample.

Strata: Locality = 3 PSU: AGEBs = 211 SSU: Households = 6549 surveyed TSU: Individual = 6342 surveyed

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f], CAPI

Research instrument

The questionnaires were based on the SAGE Wave 1 Questionnaires with some modification and new additions, except for verbal autopsy. SAGE Wave 2 used the 2012 version of the WHO Verbal Autopsy Questionnare. SAGE Wave 1 used an adapted version of the Sample Vital Registration iwth Verbal Autopsy (SAVVY) questionnaire. A Household questionnaire was administered to all households eligible for the study. A Verbal Autopsy questionnaire was administered to 50 plus households only. In follow-up 50 plus household if the death occured since the last wave of the study and in a new 50 plus household if the death occurred in the

In 2023, almost half of Niger's population was under the age of 15. Similarly high are the percentages in the Central African Republic, Afghanistan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. With most of the countries on the list located in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is also forecast that most of the world's population growth will take place there.

In 2023, just under 42 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa's population was below the age of 15; in contrast, this figure was just 18 percent in Europe & Central Asia and in North America. Across these regions, the share of the population aged 65 and over inversely correlated with the younger population, in that the regions with the largest share aged under 15 had the smallest share aged over 64, and vice versa. For most regions, the share of the population aged between 15 and 64 years ranged between 64 and 65 percent, except for Sub-Saharan Africa where it was below 56 percent. These trends can largely be explained by looking at global demographic development.

ZA：年龄抚养比：占劳动人口百分比：年轻在12-01-2017达44.137%，相较于12-01-2016的44.469%有所下降。ZA：年龄抚养比：占劳动人口百分比：年轻数据按年更新，12-01-1960至12-01-2017期间平均值为69.827%，共58份观测结果。该数据的历史最高值出现于12-01-1966，达78.491%，而历史最低值则出现于12-01-2017，为44.137%。CEIC提供的ZA：年龄抚养比：占劳动人口百分比：年轻数据处于定期更新的状态，数据来源于World Bank，数据归类于全球数据库的南非 – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI：人口和城市化进程统计。

The global population has grown rapidly since 1950, from 2.5 billion to over eight billion in 2023. The age distribution shows that the number of people within all age groups increased over the period, with the two youngest age groups being the largest in 2023. Population growth driven by development in Asia The increasing global population is explained by economic development and a coinciding improvement in living conditions in several parts of the world, particularly in Asia. Improvements in sanitary conditions, rollout of vaccination programs, and better medical treatment brought down death rates around the world. China saw fast economic development from the early 1980s to the late 2010s, going hand in hand with a rapidly increasing population. Furthermore, the population of India has grown rapidly since it gained independence from the British Empire in the late 1940s, now being the largest in the world. Most of the future population growth will happen in Africa The global population is forecast to continue to increase over the coming decades, set to reach over 10 billion people by 2060. Most of this increase is projected to occur on the African continent as many African countries are expected to experience an improvement in living standards. In 2022, over 40 percent of the population in Sub-Saharan Africa were below 15 years old.

The number of young women between the ages of 15 and 49 is expected to increase worldwide between 2013 and 2025. In 2013, the total number of women globally was 1.8 billion and that is expected to increase to almost 2 billion by 2025. The U.S. accounts for a small proportion of the total number of women globally at just 74.7 million in 2013.

Global demographics

Most recent estimates place the total global population at approximately 7.7 billion people. In mid-2018 the continent with the largest proportion of the global population was Asia, followed by Africa. While North America and Oceania were some of the least populated areas of the world. The age distribution of the population varies by region as well. For example, the percentage of the global population between the ages of 15 and 64 years varies between 56 percent and 68 percent.

Women’s health worldwide

Women face different health challenges depending on the region and country. One important global health issue is maternal mortality. The country with the highest maternal mortality rate in 2015 was Sierra Leone. The country with the highest estimated birth rate between 2015 and 2020 is expected to be Niger, which is also among the countries with the highest maternal mortality rate. Among developed nations, the United States had the highest maternal mortality rate in 2015.

In 2024, the fertility rate in Africa was 4.1 children per woman. The average number of newborn infants per woman on the continent decreased compared to 2000, when women had approximately 5.24 children throughout their reproductive years. By 2030, fertility in Africa is projected to decline to around 3.8 births per woman, yet it will remain high. The highest fertility rate worldwide Despite its gradually declining rate, fertility in Africa is the highest in the world. In 2021, the average fertility rate on the continent stood at 4.31 children per woman, compared to a global average of 2.32 births per woman. In contrast, Europe and North America were the continents with the lowest proportion of newborns, each registering a fertility rate below two children per woman. Additionally, Africa records the highest fertility rate among the young female population aged 15 to 19 years. In 2021, West and Central Africa had an adolescent fertility rate of 107 children per 1,000 girls, the highest value worldwide. Lower fertility in Northern Africa Fertility levels vary significantly across Africa. In 2021, Niger, Somalia, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo were the countries with the highest fertility rates on the continent. In those countries, women had an average of over six children in their reproductive years. The number of adolescent girls giving birth also differed within Africa. For instance, the adolescent fertility rate in North Africa stood at around 40.2 children per 1,000 young women in 2023. On the other hand, Sub-Saharan Africa registered a higher rate of 100.37 children per 1,000 girls in 2021. In general, higher poverty levels, inadequate social and health conditions, and increased infant mortality are some main drivers of higher fertility rates.

In the middle of 2023, about 60 percent of the global population was living in Asia.The total world population amounted to 8.1 billion people on the planet. In other words 4.7 billion people were living in Asia as of 2023. Global populationDue to medical advances, better living conditions and the increase of agricultural productivity, the world population increased rapidly over the past century, and is expected to continue to grow. After reaching eight billion in 2023, the global population is estimated to pass 10 billion by 2060. Africa expected to drive population increase Most of the future population increase is expected to happen in Africa. The countries with the highest population growth rate in 2024 were mostly African countries. While around 1.47 billion people live on the continent as of 2024, this is forecast to grow to 3.9 billion by 2100. This is underlined by the fact that most of the countries wit the highest population growth rate are found in Africa. The growing population, in combination with climate change, puts increasing pressure on the world's resources.