Global population has increased tremendously in the last six decades with Africa taking centre stage as a major contributor to the global population growth rate.
Africa’s population in 1950 stood at 228.7 million and by 2022, that figure increased by over a billion people to about 1.5 billion - making up about 17.89% of the global population. The continent’s population is projected to hit the 2.5 billion mark by 2050. Ironically, the population in high-income countries is either shrinking or beginning to contract.
According to the Economic Commission for Africa, (ECA), five of the eight countries linked to the global population boom from now to 2050 are all African countries and include Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the United Republic of Tanzania.
The table below shows the first 10 countries globally (All African countries) with the fastest growth rate. The table was sourced from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) data on population growth rates for over 236 countries and territories around the world.
| Rank | Country | % Growth |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Sudan | 4.65 |
| 2 | Niger | 3.66 |
| 3 | Angola | 3.33 |
| 4 | Benin | 3.29 |
| 5 | Equatorial Guinea | 3.23 |
| 6 | Uganda | 3.18 |
| 7 | DR Congo | 3.11 |
| 8 | Chad | 3.01 |
| 9 | Mali | 2.09 |
| 10 | Zambia | 2.83 |
Nigeria with population growth rate of 2.52% came in 19th position while the first Non-African country that made the list is Ukraine at 24th position with a growth rate of 2.38%.
Afrrica as a continent, is currently facing lots of challenges due to its massive population growth rate within a short period. This has built up pressure on available resources (food production, energy).
These challenges include hunger, inadequate healthcare facilities, environmental degradation, emigration of millions of Africans out of the continent, and providing adequate education to the hundreds of millions of young people living inside the continent.
Africa however, has a lot to benefit with its high population growth rate. The continent is home to about 30% of the world's mineral reserves, 12% of the world's oil and 8% of the natural gas reserves which makes the continent a major destination for the world’s booming market.