Population, Youth Bulge and Economic Development

Africa has experienced a population explosion within the past six decades. With about 250 million people in 1960, the region’s populationPopulation reached almost 1.5 billion in 2020 (Fig. 4.1). This makes Africa’s population growth to be one of the fastest in the world. It is estimated that over half of the world’s populationPopulation growth between 2024 and 2050 will occur in Africa, while Africa’s population is expected to double by 2050. Within the next decade, Africa will have the world’s largest workforce, surpassing ChinaChina and IndiaIndia. By the 2040s, it will account for two out of every five children born on the planet.