Population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Population in cities over 1 million — Western Africa

Population in cities over 1 million in Western Africa in 2025 — 75,711,122 people. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 1,810.4%.

2025 75.71M people +3.71% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 75.71M people2025
Period minimum 3.96M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population in cities over 1 million — Western Africa, 1960–2025020M40M60M80M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 3,963,165 people1962: 4,554,866 people1964: 5,190,679 people1966: 5,836,309 people1968: 6,585,095 people1970: 7,465,870 people1972: 8,492,334 people1974: 9,636,310 people1976: 10,911,600 people1978: 12,281,722 people1980: 13,678,828 people1982: 15,258,362 people1984: 16,918,746 people1986: 18,684,196 people1988: 20,615,136 people1990: 22,686,229 people1992: 24,399,587 people1994: 25,776,578 people1996: 27,907,162 people1998: 29,906,950 people2000: 32,188,666 people2002: 34,765,645 people2004: 37,590,738 people2006: 40,135,777 people2008: 42,668,601 people2010: 45,543,425 people2012: 48,611,135 people2014: 51,908,604 people2016: 55,461,638 people2018: 59,290,143 people2020: 63,384,782 people2022: 67,940,997 people2024: 73,000,106 people2025: 75,711,122 people
Change over the period: +71.75M (+1,810.37%) Average annual rate: 4.64 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Western Africa

Western Africa 75.71M people
World computed 2.01B people
Population in cities over 1 million — Western Africa, by year Western Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 75.71M +2.71M +3.71%
2024 73M +2.59M +3.68%
2023 70.41M +2.47M +3.63%
2022 67.94M +2.34M +3.57%
2021 65.6M +2.22M +3.5%
2020 63.38M +2.1M +3.42%
2019 61.29M +2M +3.37%
2018 59.29M +1.95M +3.4%
2017 57.34M +1.88M +3.39%
2016 55.46M +1.81M +3.37%
2015 53.65M +1.74M +3.36%
2014 51.91M +1.68M +3.34%
2013 50.23M +1.62M +3.33%
2012 48.61M +1.56M +3.32%
2011 47.05M +1.5M +3.3%
2010 45.54M +1.45M +3.29%
2009 44.09M +1.42M +3.34%
2008 42.67M +1.3M +3.15%
2007 41.37M +1.23M +3.07%
2006 40.14M +1.27M +3.28%
2005 38.86M +1.27M +3.38%
2004 37.59M +1.45M +4.01%
2003 36.14M +1.38M +3.96%
2002 34.77M +1.32M +3.94%
2001 33.45M +1.26M +3.91%
2000 32.19M +1.21M +3.92%
1999 30.97M +1.07M +3.57%
1998 29.91M +1.03M +3.55%
1997 28.88M +973,345 +3.49%
1996 27.91M +1.33M +5.02%
1995 26.57M +797,228 +3.09%
1994 25.78M +727,460 +2.9%
1993 25.05M +649,531 +2.66%
1992 24.4M +626,559 +2.64%
1991 23.77M +1.09M +4.79%
1990 22.69M +1.07M +4.94%
1989 21.62M +1M +4.87%
1988 20.62M +989,621 +5.04%
1987 19.63M +941,319 +5.04%
1986 18.68M +901,200 +5.07%
1985 17.78M +864,250 +5.11%
1984 16.92M +788,768 +4.89%
1983 16.13M +871,616 +5.71%
1982 15.26M +815,169 +5.64%
1981 14.44M +764,365 +5.59%
1980 13.68M +720,494 +5.56%
1979 12.96M +676,612 +5.51%
1978 12.28M +696,869 +6.02%
1977 11.58M +673,253 +6.17%
1976 10.91M +651,688 +6.35%
1975 10.26M +623,602 +6.47%
1974 9.64M +582,319 +6.43%
1973 9.05M +561,657 +6.61%
1972 8.49M +546,985 +6.88%
1971 7.95M +479,479 +6.42%
1970 7.47M +453,677 +6.47%
1969 7.01M +427,098 +6.49%
1968 6.59M +388,089 +6.26%
1967 6.2M +360,697 +6.18%
1966 5.84M +334,402 +6.08%
1965 5.5M +311,228 +6%
1964 5.19M +314,567 +6.45%
1963 4.88M +321,246 +7.05%
1962 4.55M +302,530 +7.11%
1961 4.25M +289,171 +7.3%
1960 3.96M

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.