Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 16.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 16.3%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 16.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.8%, in 1960.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 29th of 37 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 5.8% | — |
| 1961 | 6.0% | +3.1% |
| 1962 | 6.1% | +3.1% |
| 1963 | 6.3% | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 6.5% | +2.8% |
| 1965 | 6.7% | +2.7% |
| 1966 | 6.9% | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 7.1% | +2.9% |
| 1968 | 7.3% | +2.9% |
| 1969 | 7.5% | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 7.7% | +2.7% |
| 1971 | 7.9% | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 8.1% | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 8.3% | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 8.5% | +2.4% |
| 1975 | 8.7% | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 8.9% | +2.3% |
| 1977 | 9.1% | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 9.3% | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 9.4% | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 9.6% | +1.8% |
| 1981 | 9.7% | +1.7% |
| 1982 | 9.9% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 10.1% | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 10.3% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 10.4% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 10.6% | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 10.8% | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 11.0% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 11.2% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 11.4% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 11.6% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 11.8% | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 11.9% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 12.0% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 12.1% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 12.3% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 12.5% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 12.6% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 12.7% | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 12.9% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 13.0% | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 13.3% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 13.4% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 13.5% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 13.6% | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 13.7% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 13.8% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 13.9% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 14.1% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 14.2% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 14.4% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 14.5% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 14.6% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 14.8% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 14.9% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 15.0% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 15.2% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 15.3% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 15.5% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 15.6% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 15.8% | +1.1% |
| 2023 | 16.0% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 16.1% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 16.3% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.6% | 5.8% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.6% | 7.7% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.4% | 9.6% | 11.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.1% | 11.4% | 12.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.4% | 12.9% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.7% | 14.1% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.9% | 15.5% | 16.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 26 South Africa 36.1% compare
- 27 Armenia 35.6% compare
- 28 Chile 35.2% compare
- 29 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 35.2% compare
- 30 Peru 33.3% compare
- 31 China 32.7% compare
- 32 New Zealand 32.1% compare
More climate change data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 4.27 billion kg (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that) 6.71 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Indirect emissions (N2O that leaches) 15.1 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 67.1 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 88.91 kt (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers 4.27 billion kg (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied 427.00 million kg (2050)
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Nitrogen fertilizer content applied 1.28 billion kg (2050)
- All Crops — Burning crop residues 137.43 kt (2050)
- All Crops — Burning crop residues 3.56 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Sub-Saharan Africa was 16.3% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 16.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.8% in 1960.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 29th out of 37 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.