Published: October 16, 2026
5 Key Facts
- The Central African Republic is Africa's fastest-growing population in 2026, at 3.283% a year. That is the world's highest national growth rate this year, ahead of Somalia (3.24%) and Niger (3.135%), according to UN World Population Prospects 2024 data.
- Every country in this top ten grows faster than 2.7% a year. That is more than triple the world average of 0.83% and well above Africa's 2.223% average for 2026.
- The whole top ten sits in sub-Saharan Africa. No North African country makes the list, and nine of the ten have median ages below 19 years, among the youngest populations on earth.
- The DR Congo adds the most people, not the fastest-growing one. Its 3.132% rate adds about 3.65 million people in 2026, the largest absolute gain of any country on this list.
- These are UN projections, not census counts. All figures are 2026 estimates from the UN's 2024 population revision, medium variant. Mayotte (3.035%) would rank sixth, but it is excluded as a French territory, not a sovereign state.
| # | Country | Growth rate (2026) | People added | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Central African Republic | 3.283% | 187,100 | 14.6 yrs |
| 2 | Somalia | 3.240% | 657,810 | 15.6 yrs |
| 3 | Niger | 3.135% | 903,204 | 15.7 yrs |
| 4 | DR Congo | 3.132% | 3,647,187 | 15.9 yrs |
| 5 | Sudan | 3.032% | 1,615,551 | 18.8 yrs |
| 6 | Angola | 2.954% | 1,187,891 | 16.7 yrs |
| 7 | Mali | 2.850% | 738,954 | 15.9 yrs |
| 8 | Tanzania | 2.795% | 2,028,311 | 17.6 yrs |
| 9 | Mozambique | 2.786% | 1,020,765 | 16.6 yrs |
| 10 | Zambia | 2.722% | 613,061 | 18.2 yrs |
The big picture: Africa is the engine of world population growth in 2026. Seven of the world's ten fastest-growing countries are African, and nine of the ten countries on this list have median ages under 19. Growth is driven by high birth rates meeting falling child deaths, which keeps each generation larger than the last. The UN expects several of these countries, including the Central African Republic, Niger, Somalia, DR Congo, Mali, Angola and Tanzania, to at least double in size between 2024 and 2054.
Selected Details
1. Central African Republic: the fastest in the world
3.283% growth in 2026, adding 187,100 people (database.earth, UN WPP 2024). No other sovereign state grows faster this year. CAR's median age of 14.6 years is the youngest on earth, and at this pace the population doubles roughly every 21 years. The UN lists it among nine locations worldwide whose populations will at least double between 2024 and 2054. Its 2026 population is about 5.7 million.
2. Somalia: 3.24% and still accelerating from a large base
3.240% growth in 2026, adding 657,810 people. Somalia is the only coastal state in the top three. With a median age of 15.6 years and a 2026 population of about 20.3 million, its doubling time is roughly 22 years. The UN also places Somalia among the nine countries expected to double between 2024 and 2054.
3. Niger: the textbook example of rapid growth
3.135% growth in 2026, adding 903,204 people. Niger is often cited as the world's fastest-growing population, but CAR and Somalia now edge it. Its median age of 15.7 years and population of about 28.8 million keep growth near 3.1% even as the rate eases slowly each year. Niger is also on the UN's doubling list for 2024 to 2054.
4. DR Congo: 3.132% on a population of 116 million
3.132% growth in 2026, adding about 3.65 million people. That is the largest absolute gain on this list, equal to adding a mid-sized city every month. The median age is 15.9 years, and the UN projects the country will eventually pass the United States in population size. It too is on the UN's 2024 to 2054 doubling list.
5. Sudan: 3.032% amid a humanitarian crisis
3.032% growth in 2026, adding 1,615,551 people. Sudan's 2026 population of about 53.3 million still grows fast, with a median age of 18.8 years, the oldest on this list. At this rate the population would double in about 23 years. High births, not immigration, drive the growth.
6. Angola: 2.954% on Africa's Atlantic coast
2.954% growth in 2026, adding 1,187,891 people. Angola's population of about 40.2 million grows at nearly 3% with a median age of 16.7 years. It is one of the nine countries the UN expects to at least double between 2024 and 2054, which would take it past 80 million.
7. Mali: 2.85% in the Sahel
2.850% growth in 2026, adding 738,954 people. Mali's population of about 25.9 million has a median age of just 15.9 years. Like its Sahel neighbors Niger and Burkina Faso, high fertility keeps growth near 3%. The UN places Mali on its doubling list through 2054.
8. Tanzania: 2.795% on a base of 72.6 million
2.795% growth in 2026, adding 2,028,311 people. Only the DR Congo adds more people in absolute terms. With a median age of 17.6 years, Tanzania is expected by the UN to double between 2024 and 2054 and is likely to join the world's ten largest countries by the end of the century.
9. Mozambique: 2.786% in southern Africa
2.786% growth in 2026, adding 1,020,765 people. Mozambique's population of about 36.6 million has a median age of 16.6 years. Growth here is slightly slower than the Sahel leaders, and Mozambique is not on the UN's 2024 to 2054 doubling list, but it still doubles in about 25 years at this pace.
10. Zambia: 2.722% closes the top ten
2.722% growth in 2026, adding 613,061 people. Zambia's population of about 22.5 million grows at the slowest rate on this list, yet that is still more than three times the world average of 0.83%. Its median age of 18.2 years is among the highest here, a sign its demographic transition is further along.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which African country has the fastest-growing population in 2026?
The Central African Republic, at 3.283% a year. Somalia (3.240%) and Niger (3.135%) are second and third. CAR also has the highest population growth rate of any sovereign state in the world this year. See our full population ranking for every African country in 2026 for how the rest compare.
How is the population growth rate measured?
As the annual percentage change in total population, which combines births minus deaths with net migration. The figures here are 2026 estimates from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024 revision, medium-fertility variant, via database.earth. They are projections, not census counts, and the vintage is stated with every figure.
Why do African countries grow so much faster than the rest of the world?
Two forces combine. Birth rates stay high while child mortality has fallen sharply, so more children survive into adulthood. That creates very young populations: nine of the ten countries here have median ages under 19, and young populations keep growing through sheer momentum. Africa's growth rate in 2026 is 2.223%, against a world average of 0.83%.
Will these countries keep growing this fast?
Not forever. The UN's medium variant has growth rates easing as fertility falls, but the momentum is huge. The UN projects the Central African Republic, Somalia, Niger, DR Congo, Mali, Angola and Tanzania will at least double between 2024 and 2054, and sub-Saharan Africa's population will rise about 79% to reach 2.2 billion by 2054.
Which African country adds the most people each year?
The DR Congo adds about 3.65 million people in 2026, the most of any country on this list. Nigeria adds even more, about 4.93 million, but its growth rate of 2.033% keeps it off the top ten by rate. For context on youth, see our ranking of the youngest populations in Africa.
Data Sources
- database.earth, "Annual Population Growth Rate by Country in 2026" (UN World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant; republished under CC BY 3.0 IGO). Source of every growth rate, absolute population change, the Africa average of 2.223% and the world average of 0.83%. database.earth
- World Population Review, "Africa Population 2026" (based on UN WPP 2024). Source of the 2026 population totals quoted in the details sections. worldpopulationreview.com
- database.earth, "Median Age of Sudan 1950-2026" (UN WPP 2024). Sudan's median age of 18.78 years. database.earth
- United Nations DESA, World Population Prospects 2024: Summary of Results. The nine locations projected to at least double between 2024 and 2054, and the 79% sub-Saharan Africa rise to 2.2 billion by 2054. desapublications.un.org
- Pew Research Center, "5 facts about Africa's population growth" (May 19, 2026; UN WPP 2024 analysis). pewresearch.org
Methodology
The ranking orders sovereign African states by annual population growth rate for 2026, using the UN World Population Prospects 2024 revision, medium-fertility variant, as republished by database.earth. Mayotte, at 3.035%, is excluded because it is a French territory, not a sovereign state; every entry on the list is a UN member state. Population totals come from World Population Review's 2026 Africa table, based on the same UN revision. Median ages come from the UN WPP 2024 as verified in our October 10, 2026 youngest-population ranking, except Sudan (18.78 years, database.earth). Doubling times are the rule-of-70 calculation (70 divided by the growth rate) and are approximate. All figures are 2026 estimates, not census counts, and the data vintage is stated with each figure. The figure for Syria (3.041%, fifth in the world) is noted in the source table but is outside Africa's ranking scope.
