Urban population growth (annual %) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Urban population growth (annual %) was 3.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Urban population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) is 3.6%, 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 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 5.3% in 1973 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 2025.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 7th 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 growth (annual %) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 4.8% | — |
| 1962 | 4.9% | +2.2% |
| 1963 | 5.0% | +1.3% |
| 1964 | 5.1% | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 5.1% | +1.4% |
| 1966 | 5.2% | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 5.2% | -0.1% |
| 1968 | 5.2% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 5.2% | +0.4% |
| 1970 | 5.2% | +0.2% |
| 1971 | 5.2% | +0.4% |
| 1972 | 5.3% | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 5.3% | +1.5% |
| 1974 | 5.3% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 5.3% | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 5.2% | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 5.1% | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 5.0% | -0.3% |
| 1979 | 5.0% | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 4.9% | -1.4% |
| 1981 | 4.9% | -0.8% |
| 1982 | 4.9% | +0.4% |
| 1983 | 4.9% | -1.4% |
| 1984 | 4.8% | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 4.9% | +1.8% |
| 1986 | 4.9% | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 5.0% | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 4.9% | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 4.8% | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 4.6% | -3.5% |
| 1991 | 4.5% | -2.6% |
| 1992 | 4.1% | -8.0% |
| 1993 | 4.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 4.1% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 4.0% | -2.6% |
| 1996 | 3.9% | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 3.9% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | +3.4% |
| 1999 | 4.0% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 4.0% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 4.1% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 4.2% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 4.2% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 4.2% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 4.0% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 4.2% | +4.4% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 3.9% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 3.9% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 3.9% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 3.8% | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 3.8% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 3.8% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 3.7% | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 3.7% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 3.6% | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 3.6% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.1% | 4.8% | 5.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 5.2% | 5.0% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.9% | 4.8% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 4.0% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 3.7% | 3.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 4 Niger 5.0% compare
- 5 Mozambique 4.9% compare
- 6 United Arab Emirates 4.9% compare
- 7 Saudi Arabia 4.8% compare
- 8 Tanzania 4.8% compare
- 9 Uganda 4.8% compare
- 10 Mali 4.8% compare
More climate change data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Urban population, annual growth rate 3.64 % change on previous year (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 590.23 million (2025)
- Population, total 1.32 billion (2025)
- Population growth 2.4% (2025)
- Population, total, per unit of GDP 0.0006 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population, total, annual growth rate 2.46 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population, total, per square kilometre 52.66 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Urban population, per square kilometre 22.98 units per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Urban population growth in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 3.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 5.3% in 1973.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 2025.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for urban population growth?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 7th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban 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 urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.