This statistic shows the total population of Sub-Saharan Africa from 2014 to 2024. Sub-Saharan Africa includes all countries south of the Sahara desert. In 2024, the total population of Sub-Saharan Africa amounted to approximately 1.29 billion inhabitants.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth: All Income Levels for Sub-Saharan Africa (SPPOPGROWSSF) from 1961 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, income, population, and rate.

This statistic shows the population change in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2014 to 2024. Sub-Saharan Africa includes almost all countries south of the Saharan desert. In 2024, Sub-Saharan Africa's population increased by approximately 2.44 percent compared to the previous year.

Historical dataset showing total population for Sub-Saharan Africa by year from 1950 to 2025.

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.

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.

Historical dataset showing Sub-Saharan Africa population growth rate by year from 1961 to 2023.

As of 2023, the total population of Africa was over 1.48 billion. The number of inhabitants on the continent increased annually from 2000 onwards. In comparison, the total population was around 831 million in 2000. According to forecasts, Africa will experience impressive population growth in the coming years and will close the gap with the Asian population by 2100. Over 200 million people in Nigeria Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. In 2025, the country’s population exceeded 237 million people. Ethiopia followed with a population of around 135 million, while Egypt ranked third, accounting for approximately 118 million individuals. Other leading African countries in terms of population were the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, South Africa, and Kenya. Additionally, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad recorded the highest population growth rate on the continent in 2023, with the number of residents rising by over 3.08 percent compared to the previous year. On the other hand, the populations of Tunisia and Eswatini registered a growth rate below 0.85 percent, while for Mauritius and Seychelles, it was negative. Drivers for population growth Several factors have driven Africa’s population growth. For instance, the annual number of births on the continent has risen constantly over the years, jumping from nearly 32 million in 2000 to almost 46 million in 2023. Moreover, despite the constant decline in the number of births per woman, the continent’s fertility rate has remained considerably above the global average. Each woman in Africa had an average of over four children throughout her reproductive years as of 2023, compared to a world rate of around two births per woman. At the same time, improved health and living conditions contributed to decreasing mortality rate and increasing life expectancy in recent years, driving population growth.

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.

The average for 2023 based on 47 countries was 0.33 percent. The highest value was in Nigeria: 2.84 percent and the lowest value was in Sao Tome and Principe: 0 percent. The indicator is available from 1960 to 2023. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Graph and download economic data for Population Ages 0 to 14 for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SPPOP0014TOZSSSA) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, 0 to 14 years, and population.

Nearly eight million refugees lived in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2023. The refugee population in the region has enormously increased in the last decade. As of 2010, 2.2 million individuals forcibly displaced dwelled in Sub-Saharan Africa. Uganda hosted the largest number of refugees in Africa.

This statistic shows the degree of urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa from 2014 to 2024. Urbanization means the share of urban population in the total population of a country. Sub-Saharan Africa includes almost all countries south of the Sahara desert. In 2024, 43.53 percent of Sub-Saharan Africa's total population lived in urban areas and cities.

View yearly updates and historical trends for Sub-Saharan Africa Population Outlook. Source: International Monetary Fund. Track economic data with YCharts…

Graph and download economic data for Population ages 65 and above: All Income Levels for Sub-Saharan Africa (SPPOP65UPTOZSSSF) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, 65-years +, income, and population.

According to the forecast, Africa's total population would reach nearly 2.5 billion by 2050. In 2025, the continent had around 1.55 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 In Africa, the annual growth rate of the population followed an overall increasing trend up to 2013, reaching nearly 2.63 percent. This was followed by a drop to 2.32 percent by 2023. Although population growth was slowing down, it was still growing faster than in all other regions. The reasons behind this rapid growth are various. One factor is the high fertility rate registered in African countries. In 2023, a woman in Somalia, Chad, Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Central African Republic had an average of over six 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 2025, over 438 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 2025, the countries of Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo account for over 23 percent of the world's population living in extreme poverty. Nevertheless, the share of the population living in poverty in Africa is forecast to decrease in the coming years.

United States - Population, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa was 1259782580.00000 Persons in January of 2023, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, United States - Population, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa reached a record high of 1259782580.00000 in January of 2023 and a record low of 227191484.00000 in January of 1960. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for United States - Population, Total for Developing Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on October of 2025.

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.

Graph and download economic data for Population Ages 0 to 14: All Income Levels for Sub-Saharan Africa (SPPOP0014TOZSSSF) from 1960 to 2024 about Sub-Saharan Africa, 0 to 14 years, income, and population.

Social distancing is a public health measure intended to reduce infectious disease transmission, by maintaining physical distance between individuals or households. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, populations in many countries around the world have been advised to maintain social distance (also referred to as physical distance), with distances of 6 feet or 2 metres commonly advised. Feasibility of social distancing is dependent on the availability of space and the number of people, which varies geographically. In locations where social distancing is difficult, a focus on alternative measures to reduce disease transmission may be needed. To help identify locations where social distancing is difficult, we have developed an ease of social distancing index. By index, we mean a composite measure, intended to highlight variations in ease of social distancing in urban settings, calculated based on the space available around buildings and estimated population density. Index values were calculated for small spatial units (vector polygons), typically bounded by roads, rivers or other features. This dataset provides index values for small spatial units within urban areas across Sub-Saharan Africa. Measures of population density were calculated from high-resolution gridded population datasets from WorldPop, and the space available around buildings was calculated using building footprint polygons derived from satellite imagery (Ecopia.AI and Maxar Technologies. 2020). These data were produced by the WorldPop Research Group at the University of Southampton. This work was part of the GRID3 project with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development. Project partners included the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) in the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and the Flowminder Foundation.