Where People Live in Africa: Regional Breakdown by Subregion

Population Distribution Across the Continent

Africa's 1.4+ billion people are concentrated in distinct subregions, each with unique demographic patterns:

Sub-Saharan Africa

Eastern Africa

Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles

Western Africa

Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo

Southern Africa

Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Central Africa

Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Rwanda, Burundi

Northern Africa

North-East Africa

Egypt, Libya

North-West Africa

Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Tunisia, Western Sahara

Key Demographic Notes

• Nigeria (West Africa) is the continent's most populous nation (~220M).
• East African Rift Valley supports dense rural populations.
• North African populations cluster along Mediterranean coast and Nile Valley.
• Several countries appear in multiple subregions due to transitional geography (e.g., Madagascar, Mauritania).