Urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Urban population, annual growth rate was 3.64 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
3.64 % change on previous year
Change on year
down 0.8%
Rank
7th
of 47 groups
All-time high
5.48 % change on previous year
in 1973
All-time low
3.64 % change on previous year
in 2025
Years of data
65
1961–2025
Urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1961–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 3.64 % change on previous year. 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 peaked at 5.48 % change on previous year in 1973 and was at its lowest, 3.64 % change on previous year, in 2025.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 7th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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, 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 | +1.2% |
| 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 | 5.16 % change on previous year | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 5.14 % 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 | -8.1% |
| 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 | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 4.21 % change on previous year | +1.0% |
| 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 | +0.2% |
| 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 | 3.73 % 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 | 5.14 % 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
- 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
- 10 Mali 4.91 % change on previous year 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 urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Urban population, annual growth rate in Sub-Saharan Africa 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?
- 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?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.64 % change on previous year in 2025.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for urban population, annual growth rate?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 7th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population, annual growth rate rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 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 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.