Thought for the day

Africa’s Demographic Dangers


 
Last updated: 21 November 2024
 
While fertility rates fall dramatically across the globe, the rate in most African countries are above – often double – the replacement threshold. Due to this, its population from 1960 to now has increased more than fivefold to 1.5 billion people. It is expected to reach a staggering 2.5 billion in 2050. This will mean that more than a quarter of people on the globe will be African by the middle of this century. And a considerably higher proportion of the world’s working-age population will be African.

Fertility Rates of Most Populous African Countries 1970-2023
Data is ranked on highest population fertility rates by 2023.
Africa’s Demographic Dangers



Whilst the African population is the world’s youngest, it is also certain that the demand for jobs outstrips supply, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. The IMF have noted this year that the region must create more jobs for its rapidly growing population, transforming informality into employment. The growing chasm between the need for employment, and the growth of jobs, in Africa, is likely to be partly responsible for recent political unrest.
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