Browsing: Africa population growth

• Africa’s youth bulge, with 15–24-year-olds making up 20% of the population is similar to the demographic changes that led to East Asia’s “economic miracle” in the late 20th century, when a similar ratio led to annual growth rates of 6–8%.
• A study by the Brookings Institution (2023) says that using this dividend (youth bulge) could add $500 billion to Africa’s GDP by 2030. However, current trends—jobless growth averaging 3.9%—could lead to social unrest, as seen in Kenya’s 2024 protests and Nigeria’s EndSARS movement.

With more than 60 per cent of Africa’s 1.5 billion people under 25, the continent has a once-in-a-generation chance to change its economy.  By 2035, more young Africans will be working than people in the rest of the world combined.

This means that there is a huge opportunity for a demographic dividend, which could lead to faster growth through a bigger, more productive workforce.  But if this …