Worldly | How many countries does Africa have? List of countries + population

How many countries does it count Africa† What is the number of inhabitants per country? What is the largest country in Africa? These are all fun questions that we have answers to! On this page you will find answers to the most common questions about Africa, but also a clear table with all countries in Africa + the number of inhabitants per country. are you ready to worldly to become?

Remark: We update this page annually to keep the statistics as close as possible to the latest estimates. Latest update on the number of countries and inhabitants of Africa: July 14, 2023

Africa has clear borders

Surrounded by water from all sides, Africa is a continent with clear borders. In the north it is separated from Europe by the Mediterranean. In the northeast, it is separated from Asia through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. From the east and southeast it is surrounded by the Indian Ocean and from the west by the Atlantic Ocean.

The trans-continental country in Africa

The transcontinental country (which basically means that the country is not one but two continents is located) in this region Egypt† Egypt also has a small part of its territory in Asia. This can be clearly seen in the image below. Politically, Egypt is a member of the African Union.

Map of Africa with countries

Also read: 24 Must Sees in Africa | The most beautiful places for your bucket list

The largest country in Africa

Algeria is the largest of the African countries. With 2.381.741 km², it covers 7% of the continent's territory. The Democratic Republic of Congo follows closely behind with 2 km².

The smallest country in Africa

The smallest country in Africa is the Seychelles. A world famous luxury beach holiday destination with 115 islands stretching along the east coast of the mainland. The country in its entirety covers only 455 km².

The Most Populous Countries In Africa

With no less than 206 million inhabitants, Nigeria is the country with the most inhabitants. Because Nigeria covers a large area, the country is not in the top 3 of most densely populated countries in Africa. You can see which countries these are below:

1. Mauritius

Mauritius is an island country located 1200 kilometers from the African mainland. The country is made up of four islands: Mauritius, Rodrigues, Saint Brandon and Agalega. Mauritius has 1.264.000 inhabitants, of which 1.219.265 on the main island of Mauritius. Since the country only covers an area of ​​1.260 km², this translates to a population density of about 1.000 persons per km², the highest in Africa. The population density is attributed to the small area of ​​the island.

2. Rwanda

Rwanda is a small country in the central part of Africa. The country borders the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania† Rwanda is one of the smallest countries in the world with an area of ​​1.669 km². Rwanda has a population of over 11 million people. That translates to a population density of 720 persons per km², the second highest population density in Africa. The majority of the population lives in the rural regions of the country, with Rwanda having few major cities. The largest city is Kigali with about 1 million inhabitants.

Also read: Zanzibar, Tanzania | Beautiful beaches and a special history

3. Burundi

Burundi is also a small African country located in the central part of the continent. The country borders Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. Burundi also borders Lake Tanganyika in the southwestern region. Burundi has a total area of ​​17.200 km² and a population of 11,1 million people. That translates to the third highest population density in Africa of 702 persons per km². The population is predominantly rural with 87% of the population living in rural areas of the country.

The most sparsely populated countries in Africa

1 Botswana

Botswana is an African country in the southern part of the continent. The country covers an area of ​​362,576 km² with more than 70% of it in the Kalahari Desert. Botswana is one of the least populous countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with a population of approximately 2,1 million people. Because most of the country is arid, Botswana is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world. The population density is only 15,36 persons per km². The country's capital, Gaborone, is home to 10% of the total population.

2. Libya

Libya is an African country in the north of the continent. The country is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea, Algeria, Tunisia, Niger, Egypt, Sudan, and Chad. Libya is one of the largest countries in Africa with an area of ​​1.086.979 km². Since the country has 6,4 million people, this translates to a population density of 14,7 persons per km², the second lowest in Africa. The low population density is attributed to the remoteness of the country, with a large percentage of the country being covered by desert.

3. Namibia

Namibia is an African country located on the southwestern edge of the continent. The country covers an area of ​​510.035 km², making it one of the largest countries in southern Africa. However, Namibia has a small population of about 2,1 million people, which translates to a population density of 10,5 persons per km², the lowest in Africa and the second lowest in the world. The low population density is attributed to the arid nature of most of the country.

All countries in Africa (list)

UPDATED: 14 July 2023

Below is the list of all countries in Africa, including the number of inhabitants per country according to the latest estimates (July 2024) of https://www.worldometers.info/.

2023 update – Fastest growing countries in Africa

In the 2023 update, we observed major differences in the population growth of African countries. There are countries that have hardly grown in terms of population, such as Mauritius, Tunisia and the Seychelles. On the other hand, a number of African countries add millions of new inhabitants every year. With an annual growth rate of 3,84% on average, Nigeria is the fastest growing country in Africa in percentage terms. In absolute numbers, Nigeria is the fastest growing country. With an annual population growth of 2,6% on more than 206 million inhabitants, the population is growing by more than 5 million inhabitants annually.

For comparison: The Netherlands and other modern Western European countries have a population growth of about 0,5 to 0,7% per year.

Most Popular Travel Destinations in Africa

Despite the many negative news you often see on television, the security in Africa good enough to travel in most countries. Colorful Morocco is in the first place one of the most popular travel destinations in this part of the world, the second place belongs to South Africa, followed by Egypt and Tunisia.

Do you want to know more about Africa or the world? Then read our page with Information about the world or take a look at our worldly category. See you there!