Sub-Saharan Africa: a major emerging demographic power

According to the last demographic forecasts, Sub-Saharan Africa will count 2.5 billion inhabitants by 2050. As underlined by the UN Report Revision of World Population Report, large demographic powers are emerging: Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia will stand among the 10 most populated countries on earth.

The report suggests that Sub-Saharan Africa will drive more than half of the world’s population growth over the next 35 years, during which time the population of 28 countries of the countries will more than double. The case is particularly striking regarding Nigeria: by 2050, its population will surpass that of the US (more than 400 million people according to last predictions), making the country the third most populous country in the world.

Besides Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo (more than 190 billion people by 2050) and Ethiopia (165 billion people, other countries are emerging as considerable demographic powers: Egypt, Tanzania, Sudan or Uganda are predicted to count in the 20 most populated countries on earth by 2050. Demographic growth is particularly strong in West Africa, where fertility rates are higher as compared to the rest of the continent, says the last study of the Population Reference Bureau.