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.

List of African countries by median age. Niger average age is 14.8, the youngest African country and the youngest country in the world. The African islands of Seychelles is the oldest African country with an average age of 36.8.

In 2021, there were around *** million children aged 0-4 years in Africa. In total, the population aged 17 years and younger amounted to approximately *** million. In contrast, only approximately ** 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 ** 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 ***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 **** and **** 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.

Around six out of 10 young people in Africa have never traveled within the continent, according to a survey conducted in 2021. Some 36 percent of the respondents have already visited at least one African country. Young South Africans were most likely to travel within Africa, while nearly 80 percent of respondents in North Africa had not traveled to African countries other than their home country.

List of African countries by median age of the total population and male and female median ages. Niger with an average age of 14.8 years old is the youngest country in Africa and the youngest country in the world.

In 2024, the median age in Africa was **** 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 ** years. Africa is the youngest continent in the world and presents the highest share of inhabitants aged 14 years and younger, that is, ** percent of the total population. Niger, Uganda, and Angola were the countries with the youngest population in Africa as of 2023.

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 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.

license: apache-2.0 tags: - africa - sustainable-development-goals - world-health-organization - development

  Children and young people achieving a minimum proficiency level in reading (%) - Primary education





  Dataset Description

This dataset provides country-level data for the indicator "4.1.1 Children and young people achieving a minimum proficiency level in reading (%) - Primary education" across African nations, sourced from the World Health Organization's… See the full description on the dataset page: https://huggingface.co/datasets/electricsheepafrica/children-and-young-people-achieving-a-minimum-proficiency-le-for-african-countries.

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;

Central African Republic CF: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data was reported at 100.879 % in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 101.180 % for 2022. Central African Republic CF: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data is updated yearly, averaging 85.465 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2023, with 64 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 101.180 % in 2022 and a record low of 73.395 % in 1960. Central African Republic CF: 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 Central African Republic – Table CF.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: 2024 Revision.;Weighted average;

In 2021, Egypt was the North African country with the highest share of people aged **** years, making up **** percent of the total population. On the contrary, Tunisia presented the lowest percentage of young people in this age group, which constituted **** percent of the total population.

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.

Abstract

The Survey of Activities of Young People (SAYP) is a household-based survey that collects data on the activities of young people aged 7-17 years who live in South Africa. The survey covers involvement of children in market production activities, production for own final consumption, household chores as well as activities that children engaged in at school. Statistics South Africa collects SAYP information as part of the module of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) every four years. This information is gathered from respondents who are members of households living in dwellings that have been selected to take part in the QLFS and have children aged 7-17 years.

The aim of the first survey (SAYP 1999) was to collect information on children’s economic activities, including paid and unpaid work. All subsequent survey's (SAYP 2010, 2015 and 2019) are intended to provide updated information on the economic activities of children, including an analysis of child labour in South Africa. The specific objectives of the SAYP are to understand the extent of children’s involvement in economic activities, provide information for the formulation of an informed policy to combat child labour within the country and to monitor the South African Child Programme of Action (CLPA) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG'S).

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The SAYP covers children aged 7-17 years resident in a household. The survey excluded all people in prison, patients in hospitals, people residing in boarding houses and hotels, and boarding schools. Any single person households were screened out in all areas before the sample was drawn. Families living in hostels were treated as households.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The Survey of Activities of Young People (SAYP) comprised two stages. The first stage involved identifying households with children aged 7-17 years during the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data collection that took place in the third quarter of 2019 (Q3:2019). The second stage involved a follow-up interview with children in those households to establish what kind of activities they were involved in and several other aspects related to the activities they engaged in.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The SAYP collected data in two phases using one questionnaire.

The first phase questionnaire covered the following topics: Living conditions of the household, including the type of dwelling, fuels used for cooking, lighting, and heating, water source for domestic use, land ownership, tenure, and cultivation; demographic information on members of the household, both adults and children. Questions covered the age, gender and population group of each household member, their marital status, their relationships to each other, and their levels of education; migration details; household income; school attendance of children aged 5 -17 years; information on economic and non-economic activities of children aged 5-17 years in the 12 months prior to the survey.

The second phase questionnaire was administered to the sampled sub-set of households in which at least one child was involved in some form of work in the year prior to the interview. It covered activities of children in much more detail than in phase one, and the work situation of related adults in the household. Both adults and children were asked to respond.

Around 60 percent of young people in Africa would travel to another African country, according to a survey conducted in 2021. Nearly 20 percent of the respondents declared they did not think they could afford traveling within the continent. The survey also revealed that, around six out of 10 young Africans had never traveled within Africa.

IntroductionFormula feeding is providing infants with prepared formula as an alternative to or alongside breastfeeding. While breast milk is widely regarded as the optimal source of nutrition for infants, formula feeding is a common practice. The recommended approach is exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by the introduction of complementary foods after that period, which is crucial for child growth and development. Formal feeding has a negative impact on an infant’s health, causing malnutrition and other illnesses. Therefore, this study was investigated to assess formula feeding and determinant factors among mothers with infants in six sub-Saharan African countries.MethodsA total weighted sample of 26,119 mothers with infants and young children less than two years was included in this study. The data were taken from a recent demographic and health survey in six sub-Sahara African countries. A multilevel, multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify the determinant factors associated with formula feeding. In the multivariable analysis, the adjusted odds ratio with a 95% CI was used to declare a statistically significant association with formula feeding among mothers with infants.ResultsIn this study, the proportion of mothers with infants who use formula feeding was 17.1%. In multilevel logistic analysis (model III), the significant factors associated with formula feeding were the age of the mothers; 25–34 years (AOR = 1.3; 95% CI (1.2–1.41)), 35–49 years (AOR = 1.4; 95% CI (1.22–1.54)), multiple children (AOR = 1.4; 95% CI (1.23–1.77)), maternal educational status; secondary and higher (AOR = 2.4; 95% CI (2.11–2.66)), mother’s employment status; (AOR = 1.24; 95% CI (1.14–1.5));, richer households (AOR = 1.2; 95% CI (1.10–1.36)), place of delivery (AOR = 2.1; 95% CI (1.83–2.44)), household media exposure (AOR = 1.5; 95% CI (1.3–1.68))place of residence (AOR = 1.97; 95% CI (1.79–2.17)), community illiteracy level (AOR = 1.17; 95% CI (1.02–1.34)), and community media exposure (AOR = 1.2; 95% CI (1.03–1.38)).ConclusionFormula feeding among mothers with infants in Sub-Saharan Africa has emerged as a public health concern. The recommended approach is to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, followed by the introduction of complementary feeding after that period. Factors associated with formula feeding include older maternal age, secondary and higher education, delivery in health institutions, employment status, higher household income, twin births, urban residence, low community illiteracy rates, and increased community media exposure. Stakeholders and health policymakers should be focused on strategies to improve breast feeding and discourage infant formula feeding.

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 Population: Not Economically Active: Too Old or Young to Work data was reported at 1,406.560 Person th in Sep 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,455.947 Person th for Jun 2018. South Africa Population: Not Economically Active: Too Old or Young to Work data is updated quarterly, averaging 1,211.128 Person th from Mar 2008 (Median) to Sep 2018, with 43 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,455.947 Person th in Jun 2018 and a record low of 948.397 Person th in Mar 2008. South Africa Population: Not Economically Active: Too Old or Young to Work data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Statistics South Africa. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.G001: Population.

In 2024, Niger recorded the highest crude birth rates in Africa, with 46.6 births recorded per 1,000 inhabitants. Angola, followed with 41.1 births every 1,000 population, whereas the rate in Benin and Mali stood above 40. In Niger, Uganda, Angola, and Mali the population is aged under 16 years old. Especially, Niger ranks as the country with the youngest population in Africa and worldwide, with a median age of 15.1 years.

The Population Council is the research partner to DREAMS—a global partnership to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) in 10 sub-Saharan African countries. DREAMS aims to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women. This dataset is Round 1 data collection with young women (ages 15–24 years) from Zambia from a Population Council-led implementation science study to assess the reach and effectiveness of DREAMS programming in two catchment areas (one each in Lusaka and Ndola). This cross-sectional data includes data from AGYW enrolled in DREAMS programming and AGYW who lived in the catchment area but were not enrolled in DREAMS.

DREAMS aims to reduce HIV infections among adolescent girls and young women in 10 sub-Saharan African countries. Girls and young women account for 74 percent of new HIV infections among adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa. The 10 DREAMS countries account for more than half of all the new HIV infections that occurred among adolescent girls and young women globally in 2016. Phase 1 data collection with young women aged 15-24 years from Lusaka and Ndola, Zambia. Cross-sectional data collection. Age-stratified random sampling from rosters of eligible respondents were used to recruit adolescent girls and young women into survey.