Exploring the Demographics: The 20 Most Populated Countries in Africa

Africa’s most populous country is Nigeria, followed by Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, and South Africa.

In our list of the most populated countries in Africa, you’ll discover that there are more than 50 million people living in seven  African countries and more than 10 million people living in other African nations. The highest population of course is from Nigeria and Ethiopia.

These are the twenty most populated countries in Africa.

Nigeria – 223,804,632 people

The West African nation of Nigeria is known by its official name, the Federal Republic of, Burkina Faso, the Atlantic Ocean, it is positioned halfway between the Sahel and the Gulf of Guinea. It is the sixth-most populated country in the world and the most populous country in Africa, with a total area of 923,769 square kilometres (356,669 square miles) and a population of over 223 million.

Nigeria is a federal republic with 36 states. Its two main cities are Abuja, the nation’s capital and Lagos, one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world and the largest in Africa.

Ethiopia – 126,805,629 people

Located in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia is a landlocked nation with the official name the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

1,112,000 square kilometres (472,000 square miles) is the size of Ethiopia’s land area. With around 126,805,629 citizens as of 2023, it is the 13^th-most populous nation in the world, the second-most populous in Africa after Nigeria, and the most populous landlocked nation on Earth.

The country is divided into the African and Somali tectonic plates by the East African Rift, which is located a few km west of Addis Ababa, the nation’s capital and largest city.

Egypt – 112,716,598 people

With over 100 million citizens, Egypt is the third-most populous nation in Africa, behind Nigeria and Ethiopia, and the 14^th-most populous nation in the entire globe.

Between 1970 and 2010, its population increased significantly as a result of medical advancements and higher agricultural output made possible by the Green Revolution. 

3 million people were thought to be living in Egypt at the time of Napoleon’s invasion in 1798. As of today, 2023, there are about 112,716,598 people living in Egypt.

Dr Congo – 102,262,808 people

A nation in Central Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is also referred to as Congo-Kinshasa and was originally known as Zaire. The DRC is the second-biggest nation by land area in the world and the largest in Africa. 

The Democratic Republic of the Congo, which has a population of about 112 million, is the largest officially Francophone nation in the world. Kinshasa, which is also the economic hub, is the country’s capital and largest city.

As of 2023, the population was expected to exceed 111 million, according to the CIA World Factbook. The people of the nation increased from 12.2 million in 1950 to 46.9 million in 2000, practically a quadruplication.

Tanzania – 67,641,381 people

Within the African Great Lakes region, Tanzania is a nation in East Africa. 

Tanzania has almost 67 million people, making it the most populated nation wholly south of the equator, according to the national census of 2022.

Tanzania’s population distribution is very unbalanced. With much of the rest of the country being sparsely inhabited, the majority of people live either on the northern border or the coast.

South Africa – 60,477,244 people

The southernmost nation in Africa is called South Africa, or the Republic of South Africa. There are 2,798 kilometres (1,739 miles) of shoreline that run along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans on its southern border.

It is the southernmost country on the Old World continent and, after Tanzania, the most populous country entirely south of the equator. South Africa is a centre for biodiversity because of its unique biomes, plant life, and animal life. 

The nation, which has a population of nearly 60 million and a land area of 1,221,037 square kilometres (471,445 square miles), is the 24^th most populous in the world. The administrative capital is Pretoria, whereas the legislative capital is Cape Town, where Parliament is located.

Kenya – 55,100,586 people

A nation in East Africa, Kenya is formally known as the Republic of Kenya. Kenya is the seventh-most populous country in Africa and the 28^th-most populous nation in the world, according to the 2019 census, with a population of about 47.6 million.

Nairobi is Kenya’s largest and most populous city, and Mombasa, a coastal city that encompasses Mombasa Island in the Indian Ocean and the nearby mainland, is its oldest and second-largest city. Mombasa was Kenya’s original capital city until 1907.

Uganda – 48,582,334 people

Uganda, often known as the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked nation in East Africa. Kenya, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Tanzania form its eastern, northern, western, and southern borders, respectively.

With a variable but typically modified equatorial climate, Uganda is located in the African Great Lakes region and is part of the Nile basin. Around 49.6 million people live there as of 2023, with 8.5 million of them residing in Kampala, the country’s capital and largest metropolis.

Sudan – 48,109,006 people

Sudan is located in Northeast Africa. As of 2022, it had a population of 45.7 million and covered 1,886,068 square kilometres (728,215 square miles), making it the third-largest country in terms of area in both Africa and the Arab League.

Up to South Sudan’s secession in 2011, it was the largest country by area in both Africa and the Arab League; Algeria now holds both positions. Its most populated city, Omdurman, which is a part of Khartoum’s metropolitan region, is Khartoum, the country’s capital.

Algeria – 45,606,480 people

Like Sudan, Algeria is located in North Africa and is a component of North Africa’s Maghreb. 

With an area of 2,381,741 square kilometres (919,595 square miles), Algeria is the largest country in Africa and the tenth largest country in the world overall. It is more than 200 times larger than The Gambia, which is the smallest nation on the continent.

Morocco – 37,840,044 people

Morocco, sometimes known as the Kingdom of Morocco, is a nation in North Africa’s Maghreb area.

It covers 446,300 km2 (172,300 sq mi) or 710,850 km2 (274,460 sq mi), and about 37 million people are living there. The official religion is Islam, and Berber and Arabic are the official languages. Moroccan Arabic and French are also commonly spoken.

Angola – 36,802,132 people

In terms of both population and total area, it is the second-largest Lusophone (Portuguese-speaking) nation, trailing only Brazil in both categories. It is also the seventh-largest nation in Africa.

According to the preliminary findings of Angola’s 2014 census, the first one undertaken or carried out since 15 December 1970, the country’s population is 24,383,301.

By the end of 2007, Angola was reportedly housing 12,100 migrants and 2,900 asylum seekers. When they arrived in the 1970s, 11,400 of those refugees were originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ghana – 34,121,985 people

Ghana, a West African country, has a total area of 238,535 km2 (92,099 sq mi), which is spread throughout a variety of biomes, from coastal savannas to tropical rainforests.

After Nigeria, Ghana has a population of about 32 million, making it the second-most populated nation in West Africa. Accra is the largest capital city; other significant cities include Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi.

Mozambique – 33,897,354 people

This country is located in southeastern Africa.

Southeast of Africa, on the Indian Ocean, is where Mozambique is located. The entire area of the land is 786,380 km2 (303,623 mi2), and the length of the shoreline is 2,470 km (1,534.8 mi). About 113% of Texas’ total area is represented by this land area. Mozambique is the 36^th largest country in the world and one of the largest in Africa as a result. Rural areas are home to the majority of the people (62%).

At 345 meters above sea level on average, Mozambique is a rather low country. Direct national boundaries exist with Malawi, South Africa, Eswatini, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as well as six other nearby nations.

Madagascar – 30,325,732 people

Madagascar, or the Republic of Madagascar, is an island nation off the coast of southeast Africa. The second-biggest island nation, it is also the fourth-largest island in the globe and the 46^th-largest nation overall. Antananarivo is the nation’s capital and largest city.

The island’s population has long been driven by agriculture. Madagascar’s population was predicted to be 29 million in 2021, up from 2.2 million in 1900.

Cameroon – 28,647,293 people

Cameroon, found in west central Africa, had a population of 27,198,628 in 2021. The average lifespan was 62.3 years (60.6 for men and 64 for women).

The proportion of urban and rural residents in Cameroon is approximately evenly distributed. The big urban areas, the western highlands, and the northeastern plain are where you’ll find the most people. The biggest cities are Garoua, Yaoundé, and Douala.

Ivory Coast – 28,948,119 people

The Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, also known as the Ivory Coast, is a nation on West Africa’s southern coast. Its major city and commercial hub is the port city of Abidjan, while the nation’s capital is located in the country’s heart, Yamoussoukro.

The population increased from 22,671,331 in the 2014 census to 29,389,150 as of December 14, 2021. 6.7 million people were enumerated in the country’s first national census in 1975.

There are thought to be 78 languages spoken in Ivory Coast.

Niger – 27,202,843 people

Niger is s a landlocked country found in the Western part of Africa.

With a total land area of about 1,270,000 km2 (490,000 sq mi), it is the largest landlocked nation in West Africa. Saharan lands make up more than 80% of its surface.

There are around 25 million people in the country, most of them are Muslims, and they are concentrated mainly in the south and west. Niger’s capital, Niamey, is situated in the southwest of the country.

Burkina Faso – 23,302,645 people

With a surface area of 274,200 km2 (105,900 sq mi), Burkina Faso is a landlocked nation in West Africa. 20,321,378 people were reportedly living there as of 2021. 

President Thomas Sankara renamed it, Burkina Faso after it was known as the Republic of Upper Volta (1958–1984).

The majority of the population in Burkina Faso is situated in the south and central, where they can occasionally surpass a density of 48 persons per square kilometre (120/sq mi). It is an ethnically diverse, secular state. The main reason that hundreds of thousands of Burkinabè migrate frequently to Ghana and the Ivory Coast is to work seasonally in agriculture. 

Mali – 23,293,698 people

Mali is the eighth-largest nation in Africa by area, with about 1,241,238 square kilometres (479,245 sq mi). Mali has about 23,293,698 people as of today. In 2017, it was predicted that there were 67% of residents under the age of 25. Its largest and capital city is Bamako. 

Mali is an independent country with 19 regions, and its northern borders extend far into the Sahara Desert.

Conclusion

The largest country in Africa by population is Nigeria. In contrast to Ethiopia, which came in second place with 115 million people, the country has 206 million people as of 2020. By counting 102 million individuals, Egypt has the greatest population in North Africa.

While Mauritius has the highest population density on the entire African continent, Nigeria only ranks seventh in terms of its inhabitants per square kilometre.