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Countries in Africa Ranked by Urban population (2025)

Urban population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).

Summary

Nigeria ranks #1 with 151.48 million people. That is 3 times Congo, Dem. Rep. in second place (50.9 million people). The top five are Nigeria, Congo, Dem. Rep., Egypt, Arab Rep., South Africa and Algeria. Together the top 10 account for 64.4% of the total across the 54 countries in Africa listed. The median across all 54 is 5.8 million people; Seychelles is last at 55,821 people. Nigeria's figure has risen 164% since 2001 (57.3 million people to 151.48 million people in 2025).

#1
Nigeria · 151.48 million people
Median
5.8 million people
Coverage
54 countries in Africa
Data year
2025
Last updated
2026-11-14
Top 10: Urban populationBar chart of the top 10: 1. Nigeria 151.48 million; 2. Congo, Dem. Rep. 50.9 million; 3. Egypt, Arab Rep. 50.78 million; 4. South Africa 41.32 million; 5. Algeria 35.97 million; 6. Ethiopia 32.66 million; 7. Angola 27.9 million; 8. Tanzania 26.02 million; 9. Morocco 24.26 million; 10. Ghana 20.66 million.Nigeria151.48 millionCongo, Dem. Rep.50.9 millionEgypt, Arab Rep.50.78 millionSouth Africa41.32 millionAlgeria35.97 millionEthiopia32.66 millionAngola27.9 millionTanzania26.02 millionMorocco24.26 millionGhana20.66 million
Top 10: Urban population (people). Bar chart of the top 10: 1. Nigeria 151.48 million; 2. Congo, Dem. Rep. 50.9 million; 3. Egypt, Arab Rep. 50.78 million; 4. South Africa 41.32 million; 5. Algeria 35.97 million; 6. Ethiopia 32.66 million; 7. Angola 27.9 million; 8. Tanzania 26.02 million; 9. Morocco 24.26 million; 10. Ghana 20.66 million.
Urban population over time, top 5Nigeria: 57.3 million in 2001 to 151.48 million in 2025; Congo, Dem. Rep.: 18.46 million in 2001 to 50.9 million in 2025; Egypt, Arab Rep.: 31.94 million in 2001 to 50.78 million in 2025; South Africa: 27.11 million in 2001 to 41.32 million in 2025; Algeria: 18.99 million in 2001 to 35.97 million in 2025.037.87 million75.74 million113.61 million151.48 million200120132025NigeriaCongo, Dem. Rep.Egypt, Arab Rep.South AfricaAlgeria
Urban population over time, top 5 (people). Nigeria: 57.3 million in 2001 to 151.48 million in 2025; Congo, Dem. Rep.: 18.46 million in 2001 to 50.9 million in 2025; Egypt, Arab Rep.: 31.94 million in 2001 to 50.78 million in 2025; South Africa: 27.11 million in 2001 to 41.32 million in 2025; Algeria: 18.99 million in 2001 to 35.97 million in 2025.
Share of the total: Urban populationNigeria 21.1%; Congo, Dem. Rep. 7.1%; Egypt, Arab Rep. 7.1%; South Africa 5.8%; Algeria 5.0%; All others 53.9%21%54%

Nigeria 21.1%Congo, Dem. Rep. 7.1%Egypt, Arab Rep. 7.1%South Africa 5.8%Algeria 5.0%All others 53.9%

Share of the total: Urban population, as a share of 54 countries in Africa. Nigeria 21.1%; Congo, Dem. Rep. 7.1%; Egypt, Arab Rep. 7.1%; South Africa 5.8%; Algeria 5.0%; All others 53.9%.

Full ranking

Countries in Africa Ranked by Urban population, 2025
RankCountryUrban population (people)
1Nigeria151,480,000
2Congo, Dem. Rep.50,903,000
3Egypt, Arab Rep.50,784,000
4South Africa41,319,000
5Algeria35,965,000
6Ethiopia32,662,000
7Angola27,899,000
8Tanzania26,020,000
9Morocco24,261,000
10Ghana20,662,000
11Kenya18,532,000
12Sudan18,048,000
13Côte d'Ivoire17,844,000
14Cameroon16,634,000
15Uganda16,412,000
16Mozambique13,258,000
17Somalia, Fed. Rep.10,838,000
18Madagascar10,772,000
19Senegal10,558,000
20Zambia10,062,000
21Tunisia8,730,800
22Mali8,117,200
23Benin7,905,300
24Burkina Faso6,963,000
25Zimbabwe6,864,200
26Libya6,556,900
27Guinea5,815,900
28Chad5,789,900
29Niger5,129,600
30Rwanda4,503,900
31Congo, Rep.4,158,100
32Sierra Leone4,050,600
33Malawi3,908,900
34Togo3,814,300
35Burundi3,696,400
36Mauritania3,268,200
37Liberia3,214,200
38South Sudan2,643,100
39Central African Republic2,456,300
40Gabon2,388,000
41Gambia, The1,834,000
42Botswana1,741,100
43Namibia1,573,200
44Equatorial Guinea1,387,500
45Eritrea1,245,900
46Lesotho1,055,700
47Guinea-Bissau1,049,400
48Djibouti864,090
49Mauritius485,520
50Cabo Verde409,360
51Eswatini335,670
52Comoros299,650
53São Tomé and Principe166,190
54Seychelles55,821

About the top 10

#4 South Africa

South Africa ranks #4 on this list with 41.32 million people.

Capital
Pretoria, Cape Town
Continent
Africa
Income group
Upper middle income
Population
64.75 million people (2025)
GDP
US$427.18 billion (2025)
GDP per person
US$6,598 (2025)
Life expectancy
66.3 years (2024)
Urban population
63.8% of population (2025)

Largest cities: City of Johannesburg Metropolitan Municipality, Johannesburg, Cape Town.

Also ranks #2 in unemployment rate · #2 in youth unemployment rate · #2 in income share of richest 10%.

Full country profile

Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.

Related rankings

Source and method

Urban population: each country's latest value (2020–2025), ranked from highest to lowest.

Source: The World Bank, indicator SP.URB.TOTL. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.

The World Bank: Urban population: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN) (via World Development Indicators)

Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN); Staff estimates, World Bank (WB), note: World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospe.

Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.