Africa has the fastest rising population of all continents in the world with the highest fertility rate. By 2026, Africa’s population is estimated at 1.58 Billion people. Nevertheless, this population is unevenly distributed throughout the continent. Some countries are densely populated while others are sparsely populated.
Countries in the Sahara are sparsely populated despite their enormous size while countries south of the Sahara have considerably higher population density. Some countries have a high population partially due to the size of the country. For instance, Tanzania ranks far above Rwanda despite Rwanda being 7 times more densely populated than Tanzania.
Here we bring you the top 10 most populated countries in Africa.
10. Sudan 45 Million. Sudan is the third largest country in Africa by land mass. the country commands population of around 45 Million people in 2026. Khartoum is the capital and largest city, with the Metro having over 7 Million people alone.
Population checkers like war and famine have affected demographics in Sudan in last 8 years creating a high refugee influx in the neighboring countries.
9. Algeria 46 Million. Algeria is the largest country in Africa. Located in North Africa with most of the land located in the Sahara desert, population is concentrated in the North at the Mediterranean coast. The country has 4 Cities of Algiers, Oran, Annaba and Constantine all of them having over 1 million population with Algiers alone having 4 million.
8. Uganda 50 million. With one of the highest growing populations and a perfect population pyramid of more young population than the aged, Uganda is the 8th most populated country in Africa. Kampala is the largest and capital city with the metro having up to 6 Million.
With a relatively stable security, high food production and higher fertility rate especially in rural areas, the population is project to hit 85 Million by 2050. The country is also hosting up to 2 million war refugees from Rwanda, Burundi, D.R Congo, South Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea.
7. Kenya 56 Million. With a sparsely populated Northern region which is semi-arid, Kenya’s population is concentrated in the southern half of the country.
The Metropolitan of Nairobi, the country’s capital and largest city, has 6.1 Million people while Mombasa the second largest has 1.3 Million people.
6. South Africa 63 Million. South Africa has a diverse population, it is estimated that 5 million foreigners live in South Africa including around 3 million Zimbabweans.
Five Leading Metropolitans in South Africa have over 4 million people each including the metro of Johannesburg, Cape Town, eThekwini Metropolitan Municipality which includes Durban, City of Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality and City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality.
5. Tanzania 72 Million. Tanzania is the largest country by size in East Africa, however 38% of the land is protected for National Parks, sanctuaries, game reserves and natural forests. The country boosts huge population with the Metro of Dar es Salam the largest city in the country accounting for over 10% of the population and is the most populous city in East Africa.
4. Democratic Republic of Congo 112 Million. D.R. Congo is the second largest country in Africa by land size. The country sits on the Equatorial climate suitable for agriculture supporting a huge population. D.R. Congo is 4th most populous country in Africa and the most populous Francophone country in the world.
The capital city Kinshasa is one of the Top 5 Most Populated Cities in Africa with the population of over 18 Million people. Bukavu, Kananga, Mbuji Mayi, Goma, Kisangani and Lubumbashi are the other cities with population of over 1 million people.
3. Egypt 114 Million. Egypt is the most populous Arab country. The country’s population is concentrated along the prestigious River Nile and also along the coast of Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea.
Cairo is the capital city and largest city, a home to over 22 Million people making it one of the largest metropolitans in the whole world.
2. Ethiopia 135 Million. The oldest country in Africa and the only country in Africa that was never colonized by a foreign power is the second most populous. The country sits on the fertile Ethiopian high lands which support arable farming to support the enormous population.
The nation’s largest and capital city is Addis Ababa. It is also the headquarters of African Union and a home to over 5 million people.
1. Nigeria 236 Million. Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and the 7th most populous in the world. The country has 0ver 250 Ethnic groups speaking over 500 distinct languages.
Abuja the country’s capital city is a home to up to 4 Million people while the largest city Lagos has a population of 28 Million people in 2026.
With one of the fastest growing populations in the World, Nigeria is projected to be the third most populous country in the world by 2050 after India and China.
