Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

Africa Population Pyramid 1978

Africa
Afghanistan Africa Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Asia Australia Australia/New Zealand Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Caribbean Central African Republic Central America Central Asia Chad Channel Islands Chile China China, Hong Kong SAR China, Macao SAR Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Dem. People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Eastern Africa Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europe Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latin America and the Caribbean Latvia Least developed countries Lebanon Lesotho Less developed regions Less developed regions, excluding China Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melanesia Mexico Micronesia Micronesia (Fed. States of) Middle Africa Mongolia Montenegro More developed regions Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Africa Northern America Northern Europe Norway Oceania Oman Other non-specified areas Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Polynesia Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Sudan South-Central Asia South-Eastern Asia Southern Africa Southern Asia Southern Europe Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic TFYR Macedonia Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Republic of Tanzania United States Virgin Islands United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Western Africa Western Asia Western Europe Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
1978
Population: 455,538,930

Year

-5 -1   1978  +1 +5

Country

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
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Summary

Africa in 1978

As of 1978, Africa counted 455,538,930 inhabitants. A decade earlier, in 1968, the population was 346,800,639; it has grown by 31.4% since.

Half of the population was younger than 17.5 years; 45.0% were children under 15 and 3.2% were 65 or older. The broad-based, expansive shape of the pyramid points to high fertility and strong population growth.

Share of the population by age group, 1950–2100

Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.

Key indicators for Africa
Population
455,538,930
Median age
17.5
0-14 %
45.0%
65+ %
3.2%
Child dependency
86.7
Old-age dependency
6.1
Pyramid shape
Expansive
What is driving the change
Births per woman

The World Bank does not publish this indicator for regions or continents.

Life expectancy at birth

The World Bank does not publish this indicator for regions or continents.

People supported per 100 workers
Dependency ratios, 1950–2100
Children Older adults
22456890
19502100
Migration to and from Africa
Where immigrants come from (2024)

27,007,173 immigrants live in Africa.

South Sudan3,137,331
Sudan2,494,313
Burkina Faso2,033,940
D.R. Congo1,804,509
Zimbabwe1,308,132
Where emigrants live (2024)

45,746,777 people born in Africa live in other countries.

France4,428,182
Côte d'Ivoire2,811,282
Saudi Arabia2,622,804
South Africa2,348,920
Sudan2,338,949
Explore
Immigration statistics

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

Frequently asked questions about Africa's population
What was the population of Africa in 1978?
Africa had a population of 455,538,930 in 1978.
What is the median age in Africa?
The median age in Africa is 17.5 years — half the population is younger, half older.
How many children and older people live in Africa?
In Africa, 45.0% of people are under 15 and 3.2% are 65 or older.
What type of population pyramid does Africa have?
Africa's pyramid is expansive — broad at the bottom, the signature of high birth rates and a growing population.

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