Urban population — all countries

Urban population — Sub-Saharan Africa

Urban population in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025 — 590,231,475 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 1,707.2%.

2025 590M people +3.64% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 590M people2025
Period minimum 32.66M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Urban population — Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–20250200M400M600M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 32,659,645 people1962: 36,018,945 people1964: 39,839,692 people1966: 44,163,944 people1968: 48,968,792 people1970: 54,331,686 people1972: 60,336,435 people1974: 67,131,244 people1976: 74,498,807 people1978: 82,404,887 people1980: 91,039,575 people1982: 100,451,196 people1984: 110,681,512 people1986: 122,103,484 people1988: 134,838,233 people1990: 148,148,963 people1992: 161,527,590 people1994: 175,374,849 people1996: 189,723,644 people1998: 205,206,463 people2000: 222,341,560 people2002: 241,362,520 people2004: 262,434,870 people2006: 285,432,529 people2008: 309,916,049 people2010: 335,639,597 people2012: 362,881,315 people2014: 392,554,289 people2016: 424,060,257 people2018: 457,617,207 people2020: 492,567,640 people2022: 530,034,463 people2024: 569,500,550 people2025: 590,231,475 people
Change over the period: +558M (+1,707.22%) Average annual rate: 4.55 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa 590M people
World 4.75B people
Urban population — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 590M +20.73M +3.64%
2024 570M +20.16M +3.67%
2023 549M +19.3M +3.64%
2022 530M +19.07M +3.73%
2021 511M +18.4M +3.73%
2020 493M +17.74M +3.74%
2019 475M +17.21M +3.76%
2018 458M +17.16M +3.9%
2017 440M +16.39M +3.87%
2016 424M +15.86M +3.88%
2015 408M +15.65M +3.99%
2014 393M +15.15M +4.01%
2013 377M +14.53M +4%
2012 363M +13.84M +3.96%
2011 349M +13.4M +3.99%
2010 336M +12.99M +4.03%
2009 323M +12.73M +4.11%
2008 310M +12.76M +4.29%
2007 297M +11.73M +4.11%
2006 285M +11.72M +4.28%
2005 274M +11.27M +4.3%
2004 262M +10.82M +4.3%
2003 252M +10.25M +4.25%
2002 241M +9.75M +4.21%
2001 232M +9.27M +4.17%
2000 222M +8.75M +4.1%
1999 214M +8.38M +4.09%
1998 205M +8.02M +4.07%
1997 197M +7.46M +3.93%
1996 190M +7.19M +3.94%
1995 183M +7.16M +4.08%
1994 175M +7.06M +4.19%
1993 168M +6.79M +4.2%
1992 162M +6.56M +4.23%
1991 155M +6.82M +4.61%
1990 148M +6.69M +4.73%
1989 141M +6.62M +4.91%
1988 135M +6.43M +5.01%
1987 128M +6.3M +5.16%
1986 122M +5.83M +5.02%
1985 116M +5.59M +5.05%
1984 111M +5.23M +4.96%
1983 105M +5M +4.98%
1982 100M +4.83M +5.05%
1981 95.62M +4.58M +5.03%
1980 91.04M +4.4M +5.07%
1979 86.64M +4.24M +5.14%
1978 82.4M +4.05M +5.16%
1977 78.36M +3.86M +5.18%
1976 74.5M +3.75M +5.3%
1975 70.75M +3.62M +5.39%
1974 67.13M +3.49M +5.48%
1973 63.65M +3.31M +5.48%
1972 60.34M +3.09M +5.4%
1971 57.24M +2.91M +5.36%
1970 54.33M +2.75M +5.34%
1969 51.58M +2.61M +5.33%
1968 48.97M +2.47M +5.3%
1967 46.5M +2.34M +5.29%
1966 44.16M +2.22M +5.3%
1965 41.94M +2.1M +5.27%
1964 39.84M +1.97M +5.2%
1963 37.87M +1.85M +5.14%
1962 36.02M +1.74M +5.07%
1961 34.28M +1.62M +4.96%
1960 32.66M

About the indicator

The population living in urban settlements, by national definitions of urban areas. The indicator complements the urban population share: a country with a modest urbanization percentage can hold one of the largest urban populations in the world simply because of its overall size.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.