Urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Urban population, annual growth rate was 3.64 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 3.64 % change on previous year, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 5.48 % change on previous year in 1973 and was at its lowest, 3.64 % change on previous year, in 2025.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 65 years of available data.
Urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.96 % change on previous year | — |
| 1962 | 5.07 % change on previous year | +2.3% |
| 1963 | 5.14 % change on previous year | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 5.2 % change on previous year | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 5.27 % change on previous year | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 5.3 % change on previous year | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 5.29 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 5.3 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 5.33 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 5.34 % change on previous year | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 5.36 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 5.4 % change on previous year | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 5.48 % change on previous year | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 5.48 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 5.39 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 1976 | 5.3 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 5.18 % change on previous year | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 5.17 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 5.15 % change on previous year | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 5.07 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 5.03 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 5.05 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 4.98 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 4.96 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 5.05 % change on previous year | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 5.02 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 1987 | 5.16 % change on previous year | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 5.01 % change on previous year | -3.0% |
| 1989 | 4.91 % change on previous year | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 4.73 % change on previous year | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 4.61 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 4.23 % change on previous year | -8.2% |
| 1993 | 4.2 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 4.19 % change on previous year | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 4.08 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 3.94 % change on previous year | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 3.93 % change on previous year | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 4.07 % change on previous year | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 4.09 % change on previous year | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 4.1 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 4.17 % change on previous year | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 4.21 % change on previous year | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 4.25 % change on previous year | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 4.3 % change on previous year | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 4.3 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 4.28 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 4.11 % change on previous year | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 4.29 % change on previous year | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 4.11 % change on previous year | -4.3% |
| 2010 | 4.03 % change on previous year | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 3.99 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 3.96 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 4 % change on previous year | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 4.01 % change on previous year | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 3.99 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 3.88 % change on previous year | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 3.87 % change on previous year | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 3.9 % change on previous year | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 3.76 % change on previous year | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 3.74 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 3.74 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 3.73 % change on previous year | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 3.64 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 3.67 % change on previous year | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 3.64 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.21 % change on previous year | 4.96 % change on previous year | 5.33 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.32 % change on previous year | 5.15 % change on previous year | 5.48 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.02 % change on previous year | 4.91 % change on previous year | 5.16 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.21 % change on previous year | 3.93 % change on previous year | 4.73 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.21 % change on previous year | 4.1 % change on previous year | 4.3 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.94 % change on previous year | 3.76 % change on previous year | 4.03 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.69 % change on previous year | 3.64 % change on previous year | 3.74 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 3 Rwanda 5.71 % change on previous year compare
- 4 Niger 5.13 % change on previous year compare
- 5 Mozambique 5.07 % change on previous year compare
- 6 United Arab Emirates 4.97 % change on previous year compare
- 7 Saudi Arabia 4.93 % change on previous year compare
- 8 Tanzania, United Republic of 4.93 % change on previous year compare
- 9 Uganda 4.91 % change on previous year compare
More climate change data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Urban population growth 3.6% (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 2.46 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Urban population, per capita 0.4466 units per person (2025)
- Urban population 44.7% (2025)
- Urban population 590.18 million (2025)
- Population, total 1.32 billion (2025)
- Population growth 2.4% (2025)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 22.98 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 3.64 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 5.48 % change on previous year in 1973.
- What is the lowest urban population, annual growth rate recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.64 % change on previous year in 2025.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for urban population, annual growth rate?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 6th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population, annual growth rate rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban population, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Urban population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban population. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.