Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

Western Africa Population Pyramid 1972

Western 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
1972
Population: 112,881,636

Year

-5 -1   1972  +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

Western Africa in 1972

The population of Western Africa in 1972 was 112,881,636. A decade earlier, in 1962, the population was 89,659,728; it has grown by 25.9% since.

Half of the population was younger than 18.3 years; 43.6% were children under 15 and 3.2% were 65 or older. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid 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 Western Africa
Population
112,881,636
Median age
18.3
0-14 %
43.6%
65+ %
3.2%
Child dependency
81.8
Old-age dependency
6.0
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 Western Africa
Where immigrants come from (2024)

7,706,726 immigrants live in Western Africa.

Burkina Faso2,026,281
Mali1,000,882
Côte d'Ivoire948,444
Benin615,742
Togo541,509
Where emigrants live (2024)

11,328,034 people born in Western Africa live in other countries.

Côte d'Ivoire2,811,282
Nigeria1,172,502
United States of America823,411
Burkina Faso690,598
France625,072
Explore
Immigration statistics

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

Frequently asked questions about Western Africa's population
What was the population of Western Africa in 1972?
Western Africa had a population of 112,881,636 in 1972.
What is the median age in Western Africa?
The median age in Western Africa is 18.3 years — half the population is younger, half older.
What share of Western Africa's population is over 65 or under 15?
3.2% of Western Africa's population is 65 or older, and 43.6% is under 15.
What type of population pyramid does Western Africa have?
Western Africa's pyramid is expansive — broad at the bottom, the signature of high birth rates and a growing population.

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