Population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Population growth was 2.4% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 2.4%.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 3.1% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 1961.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.8% | 2.7% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.9% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.6% | 6 |
More climate change data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population, total 1.32 billion (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.6% (2025)
- Urban population 590.18 million (2025)
- Urban population 44.7% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 16.3% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 132.53 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 3.4% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 17.3% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 13.3% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 3.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 2.4% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.1% in 1982.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 1961.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.