Population, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Population, total was 1.32 billion in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
Analysis
In 2025, population, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 1.32 billion. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 29.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 1.32 billion in 2025 and was at its lowest, 227.71 million, in 1960.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 255.48 million | 227.71 million | 286.17 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 334.02 million | 293.98 million | 378.57 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 446.72 million | 389.83 million | 506.73 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 589.74 million | 521.03 million | 662.92 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 771.38 million | 680.77 million | 869.93 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.01 billion | 894.26 million | 1.14 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.24 billion | 1.17 billion | 1.32 billion | 6 |
More climate change data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population growth 2.4% (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.6% (2025)
- Urban population 590.23 million (2025)
- Urban population 44.7% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 16.3% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 132.54 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 3.4% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 17.3% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 14.0% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 7.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Population, total in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 1.32 billion in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 1.32 billion in 2025.
- What is the lowest population, total recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 227.71 million in 1960.
- Is population, total rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.