The population of Africa has grown rapidly over the past century[1] and consequently shows a large youth bulge, further reinforced by increasing life expectancy in most African countries.[2][3] Total population as of 2024 is about 1.5 billion,[4] with a growth rate of about 100 million every three years. The total fertility rate (births per woman) for Africa is 4.1 as of 2024, the highest in the world.[5] The most populous African country is Nigeria with over 206 million inhabitants as of 2020 and a growth rate of 2.6% p.a.[6]