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Africa Population

African countries by population and GDP 2019

Projections

The population of Africa is expected to roughly double by 2050. This will add 1.2 billion people

The most populous countries in 2100 will be in order of their population size India, China, Nigeria, US, Pakistan, DRC, Indonesia, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Egypt. Half of the list will be comprised by African countries.

• Africa’s population boom offers two outcomes: economic opportunity or humanitarian crisis | IOA

Economic Dividend?

Politically, African nations are urged to take advantage of this “demographic dividend” by raising levels of spending in education and health, especially for young people.

Africa’s continuing strides in education and health assist the growth of African labour, management personnel and entrepreneurial talent. This comes at a time when demographic trends favour the growth of the working age group. As the UN population report notes, reductions in fertility rates in sub-Saharan Africa in recent years have caused the population of the working age demographic (people 25 to 64 years) to grow faster than other ages, “creating an opportunity for accelerated economic growth.”

• Dividend or Disaster: UNICEF’s new report into population growth in Africa

PROBLEM: Race-to-Bottom of CHEAP LABOR is overdone now!

PROBLEM: Fast Automation - Demand for SKILLED labor!

Extreme Poverty, Low Quality of Life Projected

In the poorest countries, where population growth brings additional challenges in the effort to eradicate poverty, achieve greater equality, combat hunger and malnutrition and strengthen the coverage and quality of health and education systems to ensure that no one is left behind. - UN Under-Secretary for Economic and Social Affairs, Liu Zhenmin

Presently, the five most populous African countries have majorities of their populations living in poverty, and urban migration is expanding township slums and straining social services.