Population growth in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Population growth was 2.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Population growth in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
Africa Eastern and Southern recorded 2.5% for population growth in 2025.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 3.2% in 1982 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2024.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 4th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Population growth in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 2.6% | — |
| 1962 | 2.7% | +2.4% |
| 1963 | 2.7% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 2.8% | +2.1% |
| 1965 | 2.8% | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 2.8% | +1.2% |
| 1968 | 2.9% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 2.9% | -0.0% |
| 1970 | 2.9% | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 2.9% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 2.8% | -1.5% |
| 1973 | 2.9% | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 3.0% | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 2.9% | -1.8% |
| 1976 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 2.8% | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 3.0% | +5.7% |
| 1979 | 3.1% | +4.7% |
| 1980 | 3.0% | -4.2% |
| 1981 | 3.1% | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 3.2% | +4.0% |
| 1983 | 3.1% | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 3.0% | -3.1% |
| 1985 | 3.0% | -0.8% |
| 1986 | 3.0% | -0.8% |
| 1987 | 3.0% | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 2.9% | -3.1% |
| 1989 | 2.8% | -2.7% |
| 1990 | 2.9% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | -4.0% |
| 1992 | 2.7% | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 2.8% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | -4.0% |
| 1995 | 2.6% | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 2.6% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 2.6% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 2.6% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 2.6% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 2.6% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 2.7% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 2.7% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 2.7% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 2.6% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 2.7% | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 2.6% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 2.5% | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 2.5% | -1.8% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.9% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 1 United Arab Emirates 4.7% compare
- 2 Saudi Arabia 4.6% compare
- 3 Oman 4.0% compare
- 4 Qatar 3.9% compare
- 5 Syrian Arab Republic 3.8% compare
- 6 Chad 3.4% compare
- 7 Central African Republic 3.4% compare
More climate change data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Population, total 788.84 million (2025)
- Urban population growth 3.7% (2025)
- Urban population 305.30 million (2025)
- Urban population 38.7% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 15.2% (2025)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 100.16 billion cubic meters (2022)
- Annual freshwater withdrawals, total 5.0% (2022)
- Terrestrial protected areas 17.9% (2025)
- Terrestrial and marine protected areas 14.5% (2025)
- Marine protected areas 8.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Population growth in Africa Eastern and Southern was 2.5% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 3.2% in 1982.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2024.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for population growth?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 4th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.