Africa is the world’s 2nd-most populous continent after Asia. With over 1.4 billion people, it accounts for about 18% of the global human population. The population density in Africa is 45 per square kilometer or 117 people per square mile. 43.8% of the population of the continent is urban.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe’s population was three times that of Africa. By 1993, Africa had caught up with Europe’s population. By 2047, Africa’s population is projected to be over 2 billion (2,364,351,164), four times the population of Europe.
Nigeria, with a population of over 206 million, today is the most populous country in Africa.
Top 10 African countries by population in 2020
Rank
Country
Population
1
Nigeria
206,139,589
2
Ethiopia
114,963,588
3
Egypt
102,334,404
4
DR Congo
89,561,403
5
Tanzania
59,734,218
6
South Africa
59,308,690
7
Kenya
53,771,296
8
Uganda
45,741,007
9
Algeria
43,851,044
10
Sudan
43,849,260
The map below shows where half of Africa’s population lives.
Africa’s population is the youngest among all the continents. The median age of the inhabitants of the continent is about 20, while the worldwide median age is 30.4.
