8 Billion People.

The demographic transformation underway in #Africa holds the potential to significantly impact the global order. In November of #2022, the world reached a monumental population milestone of 8 billion, and more recently, in April 2023, #India surpassed #China as the most populous country. However, it is Africa’s burgeoning population that warrants particular attention, as its demographic evolution is poised to redefine not only the continent but also the broader global landscape.

In the year 1900, Africa’s population was estimated at approximately 140 million, constituting 9 percent of the world’s population. Since then, spurred by a combination of declining mortality rates and some of the highest birth rates globally, Africa’s total population has increased tenfold, currently standing at over 1.4 billion.

Projections by the #UnitedNations indicate that by 2050, Africa’s population is anticipated to approach 2.5 billion. Such a demographic magnitude implies that over 25 percent of the world’s population will be African. Although the pace of population growth is expected to decelerate thereafter, Africa is poised to remain the primary contributor to global population growth, with its share projected to reach nearly 40 percent by the close of the century.

The Umoja wa Mataifa identifies just eight countries expected to account for over half of the global population increase in the next three decades, and notably, five of these countries are situated in Africa. Moreover, the working-age population in these African nations, as well as in numerous others across the continent, is poised to expand more rapidly than any other age demographic, signifying a transformative demographic landscape with far-reaching implications.