Africa on the Ground

Reference

Africa by the numbers

Where each of the 54 countries sits, its capital, its area and its population.

The figures are the World Bank's[1][2][3]. The shading, the charts and the percentages are calculated here from those figures. Nothing on this page comes from local voices: it is all in the record, and the sources are listed at the bottom.

Countries54
People1.55 billion
Total area30.1 million km²
Average density51 per km²

Map

Zimbabwe. Capital Harare. Population 16,950,795, area 390,760 km²Zambia. Capital Lusaka. Population 21,913,874, area 752,610 km²Uganda. Capital Kampala. Population 51,384,894, area 241,550 km²Tunisia. Capital Tunis. Population 12,348,573, area 163,610 km²Togo. Capital Lomé. Population 8,591,626, area 56,790 km²Tanzania. Capital Dodoma. Population 70,545,865, area 947,300 km²Eswatini. Capital Mbabane. Population 1,256,174, area 17,360 km²South Sudan. Capital Juba. Population 12,188,788, area 646,883 km²Sudan. Capital Khartoum. Population 51,662,147, area 1,878,000 km²South Africa. Capital Pretoria. Population 64,747,319, area 1,219,090 km²Somalia. Capital Mogadishu. Population 19,654,739, area 637,660 km²Somalia. Capital Mogadishu. Population 19,654,739, area 637,660 km²Sierra Leone. Capital Freetown. Population 8,819,794, area 72,300 km²Senegal. Capital Dakar. Population 18,931,966, area 196,710 km²São Tomé and Príncipe. Capital São Tomé. Population 240,254, area 960 km²Rwanda. Capital Kigali. Population 14,569,341, area 26,338 km²Nigeria. Capital Abuja. Population 237,527,782, area 923,770 km²Niger. Capital Niamey. Population 27,917,831, area 1,267,000 km²Namibia. Capital Windhoek. Population 3,092,816, area 824,290 km²Mozambique. Capital Maputo. Population 35,631,653, area 799,380 km²Morocco. Capital Rabat. Population 38,430,770, area 446,550 km²W. Sahara: no figuresMauritania. Capital Nouakchott. Population 5,315,065, area 1,030,700 km²Mali. Capital Bamako. Population 25,198,821, area 1,240,190 km²Malawi. Capital Lilongwe. Population 22,216,120, area 118,480 km²Madagascar. Capital Antananarivo. Population 32,740,678, area 587,295 km²Libya. Capital Tripoli. Population 7,458,555, area 1,759,540 km²Liberia. Capital Monrovia. Population 5,731,206, area 111,370 km²Lesotho. Capital Maseru. Population 2,363,325, area 30,360 km²Kenya. Capital Nairobi. Population 57,532,493, area 591,969 km²Guinea-Bissau. Capital Bissau. Population 2,249,515, area 36,130 km²Guinea. Capital Conakry. Population 15,099,727, area 245,860 km²Ghana. Capital Accra. Population 35,064,272, area 238,539 km²Gambia. Capital Banjul. Population 2,822,093, area 11,300 km²Gabon. Capital Libreville. Population 2,593,130, area 267,670 km²Ethiopia. Capital Addis Ababa. Population 135,472,051, area 1,136,240 km²Eritrea. Capital Asmara. Population 3,607,003, area 121,766 km²Equatorial Guinea. Capital Malabo. Population 1,938,431, area 28,050 km²Egypt. Capital Cairo. Population 118,365,995, area 1,001,450 km²Djibouti. Capital Djibouti. Population 1,184,076, area 23,200 km²Côte d'Ivoire. Capital Yamoussoukro. Population 32,711,547, area 322,460 km²DR Congo. Capital Kinshasa. Population 112,832,473, area 2,344,860 km²Congo. Capital Brazzaville. Population 6,484,437, area 342,000 km²Comoros. Capital Moroni. Population 882,847, area 1,861 km²Chad. Capital N'Djamena. Population 21,003,705, area 1,284,000 km²Central African Republic. Capital Bangui. Population 5,513,282, area 622,980 km²Cabo Verde. Capital Praia. Population 527,326, area 4,030 km²Cameroon. Capital Yaoundé. Population 29,879,337, area 475,440 km²Burundi. Capital Bujumbura. Population 14,390,003, area 27,830 km²Burkina Faso. Capital Ouagadougou. Population 24,074,580, area 274,200 km²Botswana. Capital Gaborone. Population 2,562,122, area 581,730 km²Benin. Capital Porto-Novo. Population 14,814,460, area 114,760 km²Angola. Capital Luanda. Population 39,040,039, area 1,246,700 km²Algeria. Capital Algiers. Population 47,435,312, area 2,381,740 km²Algiers, capital of AlgeriaLuanda, capital of AngolaPorto-Novo, capital of BeninGaborone, capital of BotswanaOuagadougou, capital of Burkina FasoBujumbura, capital of BurundiYaoundé, capital of CameroonBangui, capital of Central African RepublicN'Djamena, capital of ChadMoroni, capital of ComorosBrazzaville, capital of CongoYamoussoukro, capital of Côte d'IvoireDjibouti, capital of DjiboutiKinshasa, capital of DR CongoCairo, capital of EgyptMalabo, capital of Equatorial GuineaAsmara, capital of EritreaMbabane, capital of EswatiniAddis Ababa, capital of EthiopiaLibreville, capital of GabonBanjul, capital of GambiaAccra, capital of GhanaConakry, capital of GuineaBissau, capital of Guinea-BissauNairobi, capital of KenyaMaseru, capital of LesothoMonrovia, capital of LiberiaTripoli, capital of LibyaAntananarivo, capital of MadagascarLilongwe, capital of MalawiBamako, capital of MaliNouakchott, capital of MauritaniaRabat, capital of MoroccoMaputo, capital of MozambiqueWindhoek, capital of NamibiaNiamey, capital of NigerAbuja, capital of NigeriaKigali, capital of RwandaSão Tomé, capital of São Tomé and PríncipeDakar, capital of SenegalFreetown, capital of Sierra LeoneMogadishu, capital of SomaliaPretoria, capital of South AfricaJuba, capital of South SudanKhartoum, capital of SudanDodoma, capital of TanzaniaLomé, capital of TogoTunis, capital of TunisiaKampala, capital of UgandaLusaka, capital of ZambiaHarare, capital of Zimbabwe

Island states too small to see on the map

Cabo VerdeComorosMauritiusSão Tomé and PríncipeSeychelles

Population

  1. under 2 million 8
  2. 2–5 million 7
  3. 5–15 million 12
  4. 15–40 million 17
  5. 40–100 million 6
  6. 100 million or more 4

Area

  1. under 30,000 km² 11
  2. 30,000–100,000 4
  3. 100,000–300,000 11
  4. 300,000–700,000 11
  5. 700,000–1.5 million 13
  6. 1.5 million or more 4

People per km²

  1. under 10 per km² 6
  2. 10–25 6
  3. 25–50 8
  4. 50–100 16
  5. 100–200 9
  6. 200 or more 9

Regional bloc

In the bloc Not in it

Capital city. Shaded by the metric chosen above. Western Sahara has no figures and is left unshaded. Somaliland is shaded as part of Somalia.

Country outlines[17] show de facto boundaries and are not a statement about disputed ones. Subregions follow the United Nations statistical groups[18].

The five most populous countries hold 43.6% of Africa's people

Fifteen most populous countries, people[1]

Nigeria 238 M
Ethiopia 135 M
Egypt 118 M
DR Congo 113 M
Tanzania 71 M
South Africa 65 M
Kenya 58 M
Sudan 52 M
Uganda 51 M
Algeria 47 M
Angola 39 M
Morocco 38 M
Mozambique 36 M
Ghana 35 M
Madagascar 33 M
The other 39 countries together have 418 million people, 27.1% of the total. Percentages are calculated here.

Western Africa has the largest share of people compared with its share of land

Share of the continent's population and area, by subregion[1][2][18]

  • Share of Africa's population
  • Share of Africa's area
Eastern Africa
33%
23%
Western Africa
30%
20%
Northern Africa
18%
25%
Middle Africa
14%
22%
Southern Africa
4.8%
8.9%
Western Africa holds 30% of the population on 20% of the area. Shares are calculated here.

Size says little about crowding

Area against population for each country, both on logarithmic scales[1][2]

1 / km²10 / km²100 / km²1,000 / km²1k10k100k1M100k1M10M100M Area (km², logarithmic scale) Population (logarithmic scale) Algeria: 47,435,312 people on 2,381,740 km², 20 per km²Angola: 39,040,039 people on 1,246,700 km², 31 per km²Benin: 14,814,460 people on 114,760 km², 129 per km²Botswana: 2,562,122 people on 581,730 km², 4.4 per km²Burkina Faso: 24,074,580 people on 274,200 km², 88 per km²Burundi: 14,390,003 people on 27,830 km², 517 per km²Cabo Verde: 527,326 people on 4,030 km², 131 per km²Cameroon: 29,879,337 people on 475,440 km², 63 per km²Central African Republic: 5,513,282 people on 622,980 km², 8.8 per km²Chad: 21,003,705 people on 1,284,000 km², 16 per km²Comoros: 882,847 people on 1,861 km², 474 per km²Congo: 6,484,437 people on 342,000 km², 19 per km²Côte d'Ivoire: 32,711,547 people on 322,460 km², 101 per km²Djibouti: 1,184,076 people on 23,200 km², 51 per km²DR Congo: 112,832,473 people on 2,344,860 km², 48 per km²Egypt: 118,365,995 people on 1,001,450 km², 118 per km²Equatorial Guinea: 1,938,431 people on 28,050 km², 69 per km²Eritrea: 3,607,003 people on 121,766 km², 30 per km²Eswatini: 1,256,174 people on 17,360 km², 72 per km²Ethiopia: 135,472,051 people on 1,136,240 km², 119 per km²Gabon: 2,593,130 people on 267,670 km², 9.7 per km²Gambia: 2,822,093 people on 11,300 km², 250 per km²Ghana: 35,064,272 people on 238,539 km², 147 per km²Guinea: 15,099,727 people on 245,860 km², 61 per km²Guinea-Bissau: 2,249,515 people on 36,130 km², 62 per km²Kenya: 57,532,493 people on 591,969 km², 97 per km²Lesotho: 2,363,325 people on 30,360 km², 78 per km²Liberia: 5,731,206 people on 111,370 km², 51 per km²Libya: 7,458,555 people on 1,759,540 km², 4.2 per km²Madagascar: 32,740,678 people on 587,295 km², 56 per km²Malawi: 22,216,120 people on 118,480 km², 188 per km²Mali: 25,198,821 people on 1,240,190 km², 20 per km²Mauritania: 5,315,065 people on 1,030,700 km², 5.2 per km²Mauritius: 1,243,741 people on 2,010 km², 619 per km²Morocco: 38,430,770 people on 446,550 km², 86 per km²Mozambique: 35,631,653 people on 799,380 km², 45 per km²Namibia: 3,092,816 people on 824,290 km², 3.8 per km²Niger: 27,917,831 people on 1,267,000 km², 22 per km²Nigeria: 237,527,782 people on 923,770 km², 257 per km²Rwanda: 14,569,341 people on 26,338 km², 553 per km²São Tomé and Príncipe: 240,254 people on 960 km², 250 per km²Senegal: 18,931,966 people on 196,710 km², 96 per km²Seychelles: 122,730 people on 460 km², 267 per km²Sierra Leone: 8,819,794 people on 72,300 km², 122 per km²Somalia: 19,654,739 people on 637,660 km², 31 per km²South Africa: 64,747,319 people on 1,219,090 km², 53 per km²South Sudan: 12,188,788 people on 646,883 km², 19 per km²Sudan: 51,662,147 people on 1,878,000 km², 28 per km²Tanzania: 70,545,865 people on 947,300 km², 74 per km²Togo: 8,591,626 people on 56,790 km², 151 per km²Tunisia: 12,348,573 people on 163,610 km², 75 per km²Uganda: 51,384,894 people on 241,550 km², 213 per km²Zambia: 21,913,874 people on 752,610 km², 29 per km²Zimbabwe: 16,950,795 people on 390,760 km², 43 per km²AlgeriaEgyptGambiaMauritiusNamibiaNigeriaRwanda
The diagonal lines mark equal density, labelled in people per km²: countries on the same line are equally crowded. Densities run from 3.8 in Namibia to 619 in Mauritius. Algeria is the largest by area. Density is calculated here and counts empty land, such as desert, in the area.

All 54 countries

CountryCapitalSubregionArea, km²PopulationPeople per km²Regional blocs
Algeria 1 place cardAlgiersNorthern Africa2,381,74047,435,31220AU · AMU
Angola 1 place cardLuandaMiddle Africa1,246,70039,040,03931AU · SADC · ECCAS
Benin 1 place cardPorto-NovoWestern Africa114,76014,814,460129AU · ECOWAS
Botswana 2 place cardsGaboroneSouthern Africa581,7302,562,1224.4AU · SADC
Burkina Faso 1 place cardOuagadougouWestern Africa274,20024,074,58088AU
Burundi 1 place cardBujumburaEastern Africa27,83014,390,003517AU · EAC · COMESA · ECCAS
Cabo Verde 2 place cardsPraiaWestern Africa4,030527,326131AU · ECOWAS
Cameroon 1 place cardYaoundéMiddle Africa475,44029,879,33763AU · ECCAS
Central African Republic 1 place cardBanguiMiddle Africa622,9805,513,2828.8AU · ECCAS
Chad 2 place cardsN'DjamenaMiddle Africa1,284,00021,003,70516AU · ECCAS
Comoros 1 place cardMoroniEastern Africa1,861882,847474AU · SADC · COMESA
Congo 2 place cardsBrazzavilleMiddle Africa342,0006,484,43719AU · ECCAS
Côte d'Ivoire 1 place cardYamoussoukroWestern Africa322,46032,711,547101AU · ECOWAS
Djibouti 1 place cardDjiboutiEastern Africa23,2001,184,07651AU · COMESA · IGAD
DR Congo 2 place cardsKinshasaMiddle Africa2,344,860112,832,47348AU · EAC · SADC · COMESA · ECCAS
Egypt 3 place cardsCairoNorthern Africa1,001,450118,365,995118AU · COMESA
Equatorial Guinea 1 place cardMalaboMiddle Africa28,0501,938,43169AU · ECCAS
Eritrea 1 place cardAsmaraEastern Africa121,7663,607,00330AU · COMESA · IGAD
EswatiniMbabaneSouthern Africa17,3601,256,17472AU · SADC · COMESA
Ethiopia 1 place cardAddis AbabaEastern Africa1,136,240135,472,051119AU · COMESA · IGAD
Gabon 2 place cardsLibrevilleMiddle Africa267,6702,593,1309.7AU · ECCAS
Gambia 3 place cardsBanjulWestern Africa11,3002,822,093250AU · ECOWAS
Ghana 1 place cardAccraWestern Africa238,53935,064,272147AU · ECOWAS
Guinea 1 place cardConakryWestern Africa245,86015,099,72761AU · ECOWAS
Guinea-Bissau 1 place cardBissauWestern Africa36,1302,249,51562AU · ECOWAS
Kenya 1 place cardNairobiEastern Africa591,96957,532,49397AU · EAC · COMESA · IGAD
Lesotho 1 place cardMaseruSouthern Africa30,3602,363,32578AU · SADC
Liberia 1 place cardMonroviaWestern Africa111,3705,731,20651AU · ECOWAS
Libya 1 place cardTripoliNorthern Africa1,759,5407,458,5554.2AU · COMESA · AMU
Madagascar 1 place cardAntananarivoEastern Africa587,29532,740,67856AU · SADC · COMESA
Malawi 1 place cardLilongweEastern Africa118,48022,216,120188AU · SADC · COMESA
Mali 1 place cardBamakoWestern Africa1,240,19025,198,82120AU
Mauritania 1 place cardNouakchottWestern Africa1,030,7005,315,0655.2AU · AMU
Mauritius 1 place cardPort LouisEastern Africa2,0101,243,741619AU · SADC · COMESA
Morocco 1 place cardRabatNorthern Africa446,55038,430,77086AU · AMU
Mozambique 1 place cardMaputoEastern Africa799,38035,631,65345AU · SADC
Namibia 1 place cardWindhoekSouthern Africa824,2903,092,8163.8AU · SADC
Niger 1 place cardNiameyWestern Africa1,267,00027,917,83122AU
Nigeria 1 place cardAbujaWestern Africa923,770237,527,782257AU · ECOWAS
Rwanda 1 place cardKigaliEastern Africa26,33814,569,341553AU · EAC · COMESA · ECCAS
São Tomé and Príncipe 2 place cardsSão ToméMiddle Africa960240,254250AU · ECCAS
Senegal 2 place cardsDakarWestern Africa196,71018,931,96696AU · ECOWAS
Seychelles 1 place cardVictoriaEastern Africa460122,730267AU · SADC · COMESA
Sierra Leone 1 place cardFreetownWestern Africa72,3008,819,794122AU · ECOWAS
Somalia 1 place cardMogadishuEastern Africa637,66019,654,73931AU · EAC · COMESA · IGAD
South Africa 2 place cardsPretoriaSouthern Africa1,219,09064,747,31953AU · SADC
South Sudan 1 place cardJubaEastern Africa646,88312,188,78819AU · EAC · IGAD
Sudan 1 place cardKhartoumNorthern Africa1,878,00051,662,14728AU · COMESA · IGAD
Tanzania 1 place cardDodomaEastern Africa947,30070,545,86574AU · EAC · SADC
Togo 1 place cardLoméWestern Africa56,7908,591,626151AU · ECOWAS
Tunisia 1 place cardTunisNorthern Africa163,61012,348,57375AU · COMESA · AMU
Uganda 1 place cardKampalaEastern Africa241,55051,384,894213AU · EAC · COMESA · IGAD
Zambia 1 place cardLusakaEastern Africa752,61021,913,87429AU · SADC · COMESA
Zimbabwe 1 place cardHarareEastern Africa390,76016,950,79543AU · SADC · COMESA

Population is the 2025 value and area the 2023 value, the most recent the World Bank gave for each country[1][2]. Capitals as listed by the World Bank[3]. Government, languages and religions are the World Factbook's own words[19]: each carries its own estimate year, and the shares come from censuses and surveys of different dates. Select a country to read them.

Not yet sourced
  • Population figures are estimates for 2025, not census counts, and countries differ in how recently they counted. This page does not show the uncertainty.
  • Some countries have more than one capital or seat of government. The table shows one name per country, as the World Bank lists it, and does not explain the exceptions.
  • Territories the United Nations lists under Africa, such as Western Sahara, are not included, because the World Bank gives no country figures for them.
  • Regional blocs show membership as each organisation lists it on the date given in the Regional blocs panel. They do not show suspensions or states that have announced a withdrawal.
  • Nothing yet on languages, economy, history or daily life. Those belong on the place cards, with their own sources and local voices.

Sources

  1. Institutional[1] Population, total (SP.POP.TOTL). World Bank. data.worldbank.org retrieved 6 Oct 2026
    Most recent value per country, 2025, obtained through the World Bank API. Estimates, not census counts.
  2. Institutional[2] Surface area, sq. km (AG.SRF.TOTL.K2). World Bank. data.worldbank.org retrieved 6 Oct 2026
    Most recent value per country, 2023, obtained through the World Bank API. Total area including inland water.
  3. Institutional[3] Country metadata: capital city. World Bank. api.worldbank.org retrieved 6 Oct 2026
    One capital per country. The World Bank writes some names without accents; they are restored here.
  4. Institutional[4] African Union overview. African Union. au.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Gives the founding of the OAU (May 1963) and the launch of the African Union (July 2002).
  5. Institutional[5] African Union member states. African Union. au.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Lists 55 member states by region, including the Sahrawi Republic. The list does not show suspensions.
  6. Institutional[6] History of ECOWAS. ECOWAS Commission. www.ecowas.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Gives the Lagos treaty (1975), its revision (1993) and Mauritania's withdrawal (December 2000).
  7. Institutional[7] ECOWAS member states. ECOWAS Commission. www.ecowas.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    The page lists 12 states. Its introduction on the same site still says fifteen. Read on 2026-10-07.
  8. Institutional[8] Overview of EAC. East African Community. www.eac.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Lists the eight Partner States with their accession dates, and the Treaty's signing and entry into force.
  9. Institutional[9] History and Treaty. Southern African Development Community. www.sadc.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Gives the founding of SADCC (1980) and the SADC Declaration and Treaty (1992).
  10. Institutional[10] SADC member states. Southern African Development Community. www.sadc.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Lists 16 member states. Read on 2026-10-07.
  11. Institutional[11] COMESA in brief. COMESA. www.comesa.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Says COMESA began as the Preferential Trade Area (1981) and became COMESA in 1994.
  12. Institutional[12] COMESA member states. COMESA. www.comesa.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    The table lists 21 states. Read on 2026-10-07.
  13. Institutional[13] ECCAS member states and treaty. Economic Community of Central African States. www.ceeac-eccas.org retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Lists 11 member states, the Libreville treaty of 18 October 1983 and its revision of December 2019.
  14. Institutional[14] About IGAD. Intergovernmental Authority on Development. igad.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Gives the eight member states, IGADD (1986) and the relaunch as IGAD (November 1996).
  15. Institutional[15] Statement on the return of Sudan to IGAD. Intergovernmental Authority on Development. igad.int retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Dated 9 February 2026. IGAD welcomes Sudan resuming full participation; the statement does not say when or why Sudan stepped back.
  16. Institutional[16] AMU - Arab Maghreb Union. United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. archive.uneca.org retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Profile of the Union: five member states, founded in February 1989 in Marrakech. This is the UN commission's description, not the Union's own site.
  17. Primary source[17] Natural Earth: admin 0 countries, 1:50m and 1:10m. Natural Earth. www.naturalearthdata.com retrieved 6 Oct 2026
    Public domain outlines. They show de facto boundaries and draw Somaliland and Western Sahara as separate areas.
  18. Institutional[18] Standard country or area codes for statistical use (M49). United Nations Statistics Division. unstats.un.org retrieved 6 Oct 2026
    Source of the five African subregions. The classification is for statistical convenience and implies no assumption about political affiliation.
  19. Institutional · to verify[19] The World Factbook: Government type, Languages, Religions (africa/*.json). CIA, via the factbook/factbook.json copy on GitHub. github.com retrieved 7 Oct 2026
    Public-domain text copied unchanged. The copy does not say which edition it holds, and each figure carries its own estimate year in the text. Shares are estimates from censuses or surveys of different years; official languages are as the Factbook records them.