| Region | Africa | |
| Population (000, 2025) | 276 302a | |
| Pop. density (per km2, 2025) | 35.9a | |
| Surface area (km2) | 7 769 438b | |
| Sex ratio (m per 100 f) | 101.5a |
| 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | |
| GDP: Gross domestic product (million current US$) | 772 568 | 794 429 | 850 245b |
| GDP growth rate (annual %, const. 2015 prices) | 3.7 | -3.9 | 2.3b |
| GDP per capita (current US$) | 3 327.0 | 3 106.0 | 3 173.0b |
| Employment in agriculturec (% of employed) | 26 | 22.9 | 21.5b |
| Employment in industryc (% of employed) | 24.5 | 26 | 26.1b |
| Employment in servicesc (% employed) | 49.5 | 51.1 | 52.4b |
| Unemploymentc (% of labour force) | 12.6 | 11.1 | 9.7 |
| Labour force participation ratec (female/male pop. %) | 22.3 / 69.6 | 17.0 / 66.5 | 16.4 / 67.5 |
| Agricultural production index (2014-2016=100) | 102 | 109 | 109b |
| International trade: exports (million current US$) | 124 602 | 111 942 | 211 394d |
| International trade: imports (million current US$) | 205 432 | 191 786 | 269 467d |
| International trade: balance (million current US$) | - 80 831 | - 79 844 | - 58 073d |
| 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | |
| Population growth rate (average annual %) | 2 | 1.6 | 1.6a |
| Urban population (% of total population) | 51.4 | 52.2e | ... |
| Urban population growth rate (average annual %) | 2.3f | ... | ... |
| Fertility rate, total (live births per woman) | 3.4 | 3.1 | 2.9a |
| Life expectancy at birth (females/males, years) | 72.8 / 68.4 | 72.5 / 68.0 | 74.8 / 70.2a |
| Population age distributiong (0-14/60+ years old, %) | 33.4 / 7.2 | 33.0 / 8.1 | 31.5 / 9.1a |
| Under five mortality rate (per 1000 live births) | 32.6 | 28.9 | 26.1a |
| Education: Primary gross enrol. ratio (f/m per 100 pop.) | 93.4 / 97.3c | 96.7 / 99.3 | 93.0 / 94.9b |
| Education: Lowr. sec. gross enrol. ratio c (f/m per 100 pop.) | 91.6 / 96.5 | 93.5 / 98.2 | 93.0 / 97.5h |
| Education: Upr. Sec. gross enrol. ratioc (f/m per 100 pop.) | 62.0 / 58.5 | 65.2 / 60.4 | 69.5 / 64.6h |
| Intentional homicide ratec (per 100 000 pop.) | 5.9 | 5.6 | 5.3b |
| Seats held by women in national parliaments (%) | 24.6 | 20.1i | 20i |
| 2015 | 2020 | 2025 | |
| Individuals using the Internet (per 100 inhabitants) | 36.4 | 64.2 | 70d |
| Research & Development expenditure (% of GDP) | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7j |
| Forested areac (% of land area) | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.5h |
| Important sites for terrestrial biodiversity protected (%) | 35.6 | 36.4 | 41.6d |
| Pop. using safely managed drinking water (urban/rural, %) | 81.9 / ... | 81.4 / ... | 81.1 / ...h |
| Pop. using safely managed sanitation (urban/rural, %) | 50.1 / 43.7 | 52.7 / 47.3 | 59.7 / 33.9h |
| Net Official Development Assist. receivedk,l (% of GNI) | 0.71 | 0.69 | 0.37b |
| Footnotes |
| a | Projected est. (medium fertility variant). | |
| b | 2023 | |
| c | Estimate. | |
| d | 2024 | |
| e | 2019 | |
| f | Data refers to a 5-year period preceding the reference year. | |
| g | Calculated by the UN Statistics Division. | |
| h | 2022 | |
| i | Data at 1 January of the reporting year. | |
| j | 2021 | |
| k | Including regional aid disbursements in addition to the disbursements made to individual countries and areas. | |
| l | Excluding Sudan. |