Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. As of 2025, the country counted over 237.5 million individuals, whereas Ethiopia, which ranked second, has around 135.5 million inhabitants. Egypt registered the largest population in North Africa, reaching nearly 118.4 million people. In terms of inhabitants per square kilometer, Nigeria only ranked seventh, while Mauritius had the highest population density on the whole African continent in 2023. 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 Chad, South Sudan, Somalia, and the Central African Republic, the population increase peaks at over 3.4 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. African cities are also growing at large rates. Indeed, the continent has three megacities and is expected to add four more by 2050. Furthermore, Africa's fastest-growing cities are forecast to be Bujumbura, in Burundi, and Zinder, Nigeria, by 2035.

This dataset provides values for POPULATION reported in several countries. The data includes current values, previous releases, historical highs and record lows, release frequency, reported unit and currency.

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.

In 2025, India overtook China as the world's most populous country and now has almost 1.46 billion people. China now has the second-largest population in the world, still with just over 1.4 billion inhabitants, however, its population went into decline in 2023. Global population As of 2025, the world's population stands at almost 8.2 billion people and is expected to reach around 10.3 billion people in the 2080s, when it will then go into decline. Due to improved healthcare, sanitation, and general living conditions, the global population continues to increase; mortality rates (particularly among infants and children) are decreasing and the median age of the world population has steadily increased for decades. As for the average life expectancy in industrial and developing countries, the gap has narrowed significantly since the mid-20th century. Asia is the most populous continent on Earth; 11 of the 20 largest countries are located there. It leads the ranking of the global population by continent by far, reporting four times as many inhabitants as Africa. The Demographic Transition The population explosion over the past two centuries is part of a phenomenon known as the demographic transition. Simply put, this transition results from a drastic reduction in mortality, which then leads to a reduction in fertility, and increase in life expectancy; this interim period where death rates are low and birth rates are high is where this population explosion occurs, and population growth can remain high as the population ages. In today's most-developed countries, the transition generally began with industrialization in the 1800s, and growth has now stabilized as birth and mortality rates have re-balanced. Across less-developed countries, the stage of this transition varies; for example, China is at a later stage than India, which accounts for the change in which country is more populous - understanding the demographic transition can help understand the reason why China's population is now going into decline. The least-developed region is Sub-Saharan Africa, where fertility rates remain close to pre-industrial levels in some countries. As these countries transition, they will undergo significant rates of population growth.

This statistic shows the 20 countries with the highest population growth rate in 2024. In SouthSudan, the population grew by about 4.65 percent compared to the previous year, making it the country with the highest population growth rate in 2024. The global population Today, the global population amounts to around 7 billion people, i.e. the total number of living humans on Earth. More than half of the global population is living in Asia, while one quarter of the global population resides in Africa. High fertility rates in Africa and Asia, a decline in the mortality rates and an increase in the median age of the world population all contribute to the global population growth. Statistics show that the global population is subject to increase by almost 4 billion people by 2100. The global population growth is a direct result of people living longer because of better living conditions and a healthier nutrition. Three out of five of the most populous countries in the world are located in Asia. Ultimately the highest population growth rate is also found there, the country with the highest population growth rate is Syria. This could be due to a low infant mortality rate in Syria or the ever -expanding tourism sector.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SPPOPGROWSSA) from 1961 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, population, and rate.

This interactive map presents demographic data for East African countries, showing population size, fertility, mortality, migration rates, and projections up to 2050. By combining statistics with geographic locations, the map helps users explore spatial variations, compare country profiles, and understand future population challenges across the region.

There are approximately 8.16 billion people living in the world today, a figure that shows a dramatic increase since the beginning of the Common Era. Since the 1970s, the global population has also more than doubled in size. It is estimated that the world's population will reach and surpass 10 billion people by 2060 and plateau at around 10.3 billion in the 2080s, before it then begins to fall. Asia When it comes to number of inhabitants per continent, Asia is the most populous continent in the world by a significant margin, with roughly 60 percent of the world's population living there. Similar to other global regions, a quarter of inhabitants in Asia are under 15 years of age. The most populous nations in the world are India and China respectively; each inhabit more than three times the amount of people than the third-ranked United States. 10 of the 20 most populous countries in the world are found in Asia. Africa Interestingly, the top 20 countries with highest population growth rate are mainly countries in Africa. This is due to the present stage of Sub-Saharan Africa's demographic transition, where mortality rates are falling significantly, although fertility rates are yet to drop and match this. As much of Asia is nearing the end of its demographic transition, population growth is predicted to be much slower in this century than in the previous; in contrast, Africa's population is expected to reach almost four billion by the year 2100. Unlike demographic transitions in other continents, Africa's population development is being influenced by climate change on a scale unseen by most other global regions. Rising temperatures are exacerbating challenges such as poor sanitation, lack of infrastructure, and political instability, which have historically hindered societal progress. It remains to be seen how Africa and the world at large adapts to this crisis as it continues to cause drought, desertification, natural disasters, and climate migration across the region.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SPPOPTOTLSSA) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa and population.

Key information about South Africa population

• The South Africa population reached 63.1 million people in Jun 2025, compared with the previously reported figure of 62.3 million people in Jun 2024
• The data reached an all-time high of 63.1 million people in Jun 2025 and a record low of 16.4 million people in Jun 1960

*This indicator will be no longer available from March 2026, 4th onwards. CEIC has a plan to remove the non-standard frequency indicator after the standard frequency indicator has been added and be available on this table. CEIC extends history for annual Population. Statistics South Africa provides Mid-year Population. Population prior to 2001 is sourced from the World Bank.


Further information about South Africa population data

• In the latest reports, South Africa Unemployment Rate dropped to 31.9 % in Sep 2025
• Monthly earnings of the South Africa population was 1,589.0 USD in May 2025
• South Africa Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 59.7 % in Sep 2025

This dataset provides a comprehensive list of countries and other inhabited territories around the world, sorted by total population. The population data is based on estimates published by the United Nations in the 2024 revision of the World Population Prospects. It includes population estimates spanning from 1950 to the present, offering insights into global demographic trends over the past several decades.

Dataset Overview

The dataset contains mid-year population estimates from the United Nations for the years 2022 and 2023, reflecting the latest available data for these years. This dataset can be used to analyze population growth patterns, compare population dynamics between countries, or conduct time series analyses of demographic changes.

Key Features

• Population data for countries and territories from 1950 to the present.

• Estimates based on the 2024 revision of the World Population Prospects.

• Mid-year estimates for the years 2022 and 2023.

Column Information

• Country: Name of the country or inhabited territory.

• Population (1 July 2022): The total estimated population as of July 1, 2022.

• Population (1 July 2023): The total estimated population as of July 1, 2023.

• Change: The population change between 2022 and 2023.

• UN Continental Region: The geographical region to which the country or territory belongs (e.g., Africa, Asia, Europe).

• UN Statistical Subregion: A more specific geographical classification within the region (e.g., Eastern Europe, Western Asia).

**Source ** This dataset was downloaded from Wikipedia: List of countries by population (United Nations).

Usage

This dataset is ideal for researchers, data analysts, and anyone interested in understanding global population dynamics through reliable United Nations estimates.

The average for 2024 based on 53 countries was 50.8 percent. The highest value was in Burundi: 84.84 percent and the lowest value was in Gabon: 8.69 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for Developing Countries in Middle East and North Africa (SPPOPTOTLMNA) from 1960 to 2024 about North Africa, Middle East, and population.

Graph and download economic data for Population Ages 15 to 64 for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SPPOP1564TOZSSSA) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, 15 to 64 years, and population.

Africa Rural Population Dataset

  Dataset Summary

This dataset provides annual rural population counts for 54 African countries from 1960 to 2024.The data originates from the World Bank Development Indicators (indicator code SP.RUR.TOTL) and has been cleaned and re-formatted for machine-learning workflows.

  Source & Collection

Original source: World Bank Open Data – Rural population (SP.RUR.TOTL)Data accessed via Excel download and processed on 2025-08-07.… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/Africa-Rural-Population-Dataset.

Graph and download economic data for Population ages 65 and above for Developing Countries in Middle East and North Africa (SPPOP65UPTOZSMNA) from 1960 to 2024 about North Africa, Middle East, 65-years +, and population.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Population ages 65 and above for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SPPOP65UPTOZSSSA) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, 65-years +, and population.

The average for 2024 based on 53 countries was 49.2 percent. The highest value was in Gabon: 91.31 percent and the lowest value was in Burundi: 15.16 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Graph and download economic data for Employment to Population Ratio for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SLEMPTOTLSPZSSSA) from 1991 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, employment-population ratio, population, and employment.