Africa's population is the youngest among other continents with a median age of 19.7 which is relatively lower than the global median age of 30.4. Africa has been known as the youngest population in the world. Almost 60% of Africa's population is under the age of 25, and this growth has been claimed to be attributed to high fertility and declining child mortality. The United Nations' projection shows that the global population will reach 10 billion people by 2055, with approximately 95% of the increase coming from low- and middle-income countries. To the projection, 57% of the growth(1.4 billion people) will come from Africa, particularly sub-Saharan Africa.
Here are the Top 10 countries with the youngest population in Africa
10. Burkina Faso
Between 1960 and 2022, the population of Burkina Faso grew four times from 4.83 million in 1960 to 20.3 million today. Burkina Faso remains a young country with a median age of 17.3. It is projected that by 2040 the population will increase to 32.41 million people. Though there has been a substantial increase in growth of literacy rates due to the increase in population, job insecurity remains high.
9. South Sudan
South Sudan is located in North-Eastern Africa. It is richly diverse in lush savannahs, rainforests and swamplands. South Sudan is the world's youngest country with a median age of 17.3. The country of approximately 13 million people has been facing extreme poverty due to the devastating Civil War that crippled their economy and left tens of thousands of South Sudanese dead. The country is rising and has a good number of her citizens as International fashion models like Adut Akech.
8. Mozambique
Mozambique is a South Eastern country in Africa. Due to colonisation by Portugal, they adopted Portuguese as their official language. Mozambique has an estimated population of 30,832,000 people and is very rich in natural resources. Mozambique has an area of 801,590 square kilometres and is considered a fast-growing country, especially in tourism. It is stated that more than 52% of the population is below the age of 18.
7. Burundi
Burundi is an East African country with approximately 12.58m people and is projected to reach 15 million inhabitants by 2030. Over 65% of the population is under the age of 25, characterising it extremely youth existence. A major cause of the high increase in Burundi's population is the birth rate, it is stated that about six children are born by a woman on average.
6. Zambia
Zambia is a South Eastern country in Africa with an estimated population of over 19 million people and a median age of 16.8. With targeted investments, Zambia's youth have the potential to become builders, leaders and innovators for sustainable development in their country.
5. Malawi
Malawi is an East African country with an estimated population of 18.6 million people. Malawi remains one of the poorest countries despite making significant growth in its economy and structural reforms. The economy in Malawi is heavily based on agriculture and subsistence farming, which was severely affected by the COVID 19 pandemic. A staggering 70% of Malawi's population lives on less than $1.90 a day.
4. Angola
Angola is a Central African country, very rich in natural oil. It hares borders with Namibia and Congo. Angola has a population of over 32 million people with an area of 1,246,700 square kilometres. At its current growth rate, the population may surpass 50 million people by the end of 2034. Angola is a fast-rising country in Africa and is amongst the richest countries on the continent.
3. Mali
Mali is the 8th largest country in Africa with an area of over 1,240,000 square km. Mali has a population of over 19 million people, with 60% of its population under the age of 18. Mali is one of the richest countries, famously known for its salt mines. Mali's young population present immense potential for positive changes in building the Mali of tomorrow.
2. Uganda
Uganda is an Eastern country in Africa best known for its wildlife features like the largest freshwater lake on the Continent, the longest river and the strongest waterfall. Uganda has two official languages: English and Swahili, and has an estimated population of 34.8 million people. Making Uganda the world's second-most populous landlocked country after Ethiopia.
1. Niger
Niger is a western country in Africa named after the Niger River. Niger has an estimated population of 22,928,000 people and sits on some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Schooling in Niger is free but many regions do not have schools for the locals to attend. About 13.6% of Niger's population cannot read and write, which makes Niger have one of the lowest literacy rates in West Africa. The increase in birth rate is majorly caused by poor birth planning and the country plans to fix the issue through education.
Young people have the potential key to Africa's sustainable development. About 70% of sub-Saharan Africans are under the age of 30. The high rate of young people is a great opportunity for the Continent to grow. Though, this is only achievable if the new generation is fully empowered with adequate education and resources to explore their potential. Involving young people in the country's politics and societal development will vitally help in innovation, economy, peace and security. But the question remains, will they be given a chance?