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Africa reached 1.52 billion people in 2024 and is projected to hit 2.47 billion by 2050

Africa's population has grown more than sixfold since 1950 and is set to near 2.5 billion by 2050 on UN World Population Prospects 2024 figures.

Updated October 2026 · Data year 1950 and 2024 from UN WPP 2024. 2050 is a projection (medium variant).
Figure 1
Africa's population has grown more than sixfold since 1950 and is set to near 2.5 billion by 2050 on UN World Population Prospects 2024 figures.
2466.65
2050 · million people
06911,3812,0722,763195020242466.652050
Source: Our World in Data, StatisticsTimes (reproducing UN World Population Prospects 2024) · 1950 and 2024 from UN WPP 2024. 2050 is a projection (medium variant). · Based on UN World Population Prospects 2024 (medium variant). 1950 is an estimate. The 2024 figure is the WPP 2024 current estimate (Our World in Data classifies 2024 onward as projection). 2050 is a projection.

Africa held about 227.8 million people in 1950 [S1][S2]. By mid-2024 it reached 1,515,140,849, and the UN projects 2,466,647,618 by 2050 on the medium variant [S2]. Africa's share of the world population rises from 18.56 percent in 2024 to a projected 25.52 percent in 2050 [S2]. The continent stays young. Africa's median age was about 19.2 years in 2024 against a world median near 30.6 years [S3][S4]. The honest caveat is that 2050 is a projection. It assumes continued fertility decline, and actual numbers depend on how fast birth rates fall.

Takeaways
  • Africa's population passed 1.5 billion in 2024.
  • It is projected to reach about 2.47 billion by 2050.
  • Africa's share of the world rises from 18.6 to a projected 25.5 percent.
Sources
  • TIER B Our World in Data, Population (long-run, with UN WPP 2024 projections), Africa series (2024). https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/population-long-run-with-projections
    Secondary carrier of UN WPP 2024, the primary dataset. This OWID long-run grapher shows Africa 227,776,838 in 1950 (historical), 1,514,032,368 in 2024 and 2,465,023,011 in 2050, both medium-variant projections. Corroborates the 1950 point and the 2024-onward projection classification. population.un.org could not be opened to cite the UN primary directly.
  • TIER B StatisticsTimes (reproducing UN World Population Prospects 2024), Africa Population (2024). https://www.statisticstimes.com/demographics/africa-population.php
    Secondary carrier of UN WPP 2024, the primary dataset. Africa total 227,776,419 (1 July 1950), 1,515,140,849 (1 July 2024) and 2,466,647,618 (2050 projection). Share of world 18.56 percent (2024) and 25.52 percent (2050 projection). Carries the three charted points.
  • TIER B Our World in Data, Median age, Africa series (UN WPP 2024) (2024). https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/median-age
    Secondary carrier of UN WPP 2024, the primary dataset. Africa median age 19.174 years in 2024 (projected) and 19.032 in 2023 (estimate).
  • TIER B StatisticsTimes (reproducing UN World Population Prospects 2024), World Demographics (2024). https://www.statisticstimes.com/demographics/world-demographics.php
    Secondary carrier of UN WPP 2024, the primary dataset. World median age 30.621 years in 2024.

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