Africa is regarded as one of the oldest continents in the world. It’s sometimes nicknamed the “Mother Continent” due to its being the oldest inhabited continent on Earth. Research shows that humans and human ancestors have lived in Africa for more than 5 million years.
With 1.4 billion people as of 2022, it accounts for about 17% of the world’s human population. The continent is bounded on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, on the north by the mediterranean sea, on the east by the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, and on the south by the mingling waters of the Atlantic and Indian oceans.
In this piece, Africa Public Sector Magazine researched the top ten populous countries on the continent.
1. Nigeria- 216M
Nigeria is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. According to the Nigeria Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria has a population of 216 million people. It’s the largest population in Africa and the seventh largest population in the world.
Approximately 50% of Nigerians are urban dwellers, with the rate of urbanization being estimated at 4.3%. Nigeria is home to over 250 ethnic groups, with over 500 languages, and the variety of customs and traditions among them gives the country great cultural diversity.
2. Ethiopia- 121M
Ethiopia, a country shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east and northeast, Kenya to the south, South Sudan to the west, and Sudan to the northwest is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is also known as officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Ethiopians
Ethiopia is the second largest country in Africa with a population of over 121 million. It’s the 12th-most populous country in the world.
3. Egypt- 106M
Egypt, a country linking northeast Africa with the Middle East, dates to the time of the pharaohs. Millennia-old monuments sit along the fertile Nile River Valley, including Giza’s colossal Pyramids and Great Sphinx as well as Luxor’s hieroglyph-lined Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings tombs. The capital, Cairo, is home to Ottoman landmarks like Muhammad Ali Mosque and the Egyptian Museum, a trove of antiquities.
The country is the third most populated country in Africa with 106 million.
4. DR Congo- 96M
The Democratic Republic of the Congo, informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in Central Africa. It has a population of 96 million.
5. South Africa- 62M
South Africa is a country on the southernmost tip of the African continent, marked by several distinct ecosystems. With a population of 62 million, South Africa is the sixth most populous country on the continent.
6. Tanzania- 61M
Tanzania is an East African country known for its vast wilderness areas. They include the plains of Serengeti National Park, a safari mecca populated by the “big five” game (elephant, lion, leopard, buffalo, rhino), and Kilimanjaro National Park, home to Africa’s highest mountain. Offshore lie the tropical islands of Zanzibar, with Arabic influences, and Mafia, with a marine park home to whale sharks and coral reefs.
Tanzania is the fifth most populous country in Africa with 61 million.
7. Kenya- 57M
Kenya is a country in East Africa with a coastline on the Indian Ocean. It encompasses savannah, Lakelands, the dramatic Great Rift Valley and mountain highlands. It’s also home to wildlife like lions, elephants and rhinos. The country’s population is 57 million.
8. Uganda- 49M
Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa whose diverse landscape encompasses the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains and immense Lake Victoria. Its abundant wildlife includes chimpanzees as well as rare birds. Remote Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is a renowned mountain gorilla sanctuary.
Uganda has a population of 49m.
9. Algeria- 47M
Algeria is the ninth most populated country in Africa with 47 million. Algeria is a North African country with a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior. In the capital, Algiers, Ottoman landmarks like circa-1612 Ketchaoua Mosque line the hillside Casbah quarter, with its narrow alleys and stairways.
10. Sudan- 46M
Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Egypt to the north, Eritrea to the northeast, Ethiopia to the southeast, Libya to the northwest, South Sudan to the south and the Red Sea.
Sudan population is 46 million and it’s the tenth most populated country in Africa.
Conclusion:
According to Forecast, Africa’s total population would reach nearly 2.5 billion by 2050.
