Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Sub-Saharan Africa

Population in cities over 1 million in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2025 — 204,039,674 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 1,566.9%.

2025 204M people +3.7% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 204M people2025
Period minimum 12.24M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–20250100M200M300M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 12,240,411 people1962: 13,657,647 people1964: 15,202,099 people1966: 16,901,752 people1968: 18,860,745 people1970: 21,060,313 people1972: 23,385,424 people1974: 25,955,248 people1976: 28,770,341 people1978: 31,802,657 people1980: 34,940,733 people1982: 38,377,888 people1984: 42,234,699 people1986: 46,389,110 people1988: 50,961,170 people1990: 55,906,575 people1992: 60,872,809 people1994: 65,543,321 people1996: 71,059,546 people1998: 76,585,337 people2000: 82,525,470 people2002: 88,999,817 people2004: 95,871,130 people2006: 102,851,376 people2008: 109,944,354 people2010: 118,382,413 people2012: 127,533,175 people2014: 137,448,658 people2016: 147,859,182 people2018: 159,056,646 people2020: 170,531,782 people2022: 183,076,461 people2024: 196,769,009 people2025: 204,039,674 people
Change over the period: +192M (+1,566.93%) Average annual rate: 4.42 %

Comparison, 2025

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

Sub-Saharan Africa 204M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 204M +7.27M +3.7%
2024 197M +6.99M +3.68%
2023 190M +6.7M +3.66%
2022 183M +6.41M +3.63%
2021 177M +6.13M +3.6%
2020 171M +5.86M +3.56%
2019 165M +5.61M +3.53%
2018 159M +5.66M +3.69%
2017 153M +5.54M +3.75%
2016 148M +5.31M +3.73%
2015 143M +5.1M +3.71%
2014 137M +5.05M +3.82%
2013 132M +4.86M +3.81%
2012 128M +4.66M +3.8%
2011 123M +4.49M +3.79%
2010 118M +4.3M +3.77%
2009 114M +4.14M +3.77%
2008 110M +3.9M +3.68%
2007 106M +3.19M +3.11%
2006 103M +3.56M +3.58%
2005 99.29M +3.42M +3.57%
2004 95.87M +3.51M +3.8%
2003 92.36M +3.36M +3.77%
2002 89M +3.27M +3.82%
2001 85.73M +3.2M +3.88%
2000 82.53M +3.07M +3.87%
1999 79.45M +2.87M +3.74%
1998 76.59M +2.79M +3.78%
1997 73.79M +2.73M +3.85%
1996 71.06M +3.06M +4.5%
1995 68M +2.45M +3.74%
1994 65.54M +2.34M +3.7%
1993 63.21M +2.33M +3.83%
1992 60.87M +2.3M +3.92%
1991 58.57M +2.67M +4.77%
1990 55.91M +2.54M +4.77%
1989 53.36M +2.4M +4.71%
1988 50.96M +2.34M +4.81%
1987 48.62M +2.23M +4.82%
1986 46.39M +2.13M +4.82%
1985 44.26M +2.02M +4.79%
1984 42.23M +1.94M +4.8%
1983 40.3M +1.92M +5.01%
1982 38.38M +1.77M +4.82%
1981 36.61M +1.67M +4.78%
1980 34.94M +1.61M +4.84%
1979 33.33M +1.53M +4.8%
1978 31.8M +1.55M +5.12%
1977 30.25M +1.48M +5.15%
1976 28.77M +1.43M +5.24%
1975 27.34M +1.38M +5.32%
1974 25.96M +1.31M +5.31%
1973 24.65M +1.26M +5.4%
1972 23.39M +1.21M +5.46%
1971 22.17M +1.11M +5.29%
1970 21.06M +1.12M +5.59%
1969 19.94M +1.08M +5.75%
1968 18.86M +1.01M +5.68%
1967 17.85M +944,637 +5.59%
1966 16.9M +878,856 +5.49%
1965 16.02M +820,797 +5.4%
1964 15.2M +784,277 +5.44%
1963 14.42M +760,175 +5.57%
1962 13.66M +729,873 +5.65%
1961 12.93M +687,363 +5.62%
1960 12.24M

About the indicator

The population of urban agglomerations with more than one million residents. The unit of count is the agglomeration, not the city within its administrative boundaries, and that is essential: along administrative lines many of the largest concentrations of people break up into dozens of municipalities. The indicator measures not urbanization as such but its concentration in large centers — a country can be highly urbanized without a single million-plus city.

Important: The table covers about 120 territories — the rest have no agglomerations of this size, and that is a zero, not a gap. Aggregates for groups of countries are therefore calculated at a lowered coverage threshold.

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