Population ages 15-64 in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Population ages 15-64 was 56.4% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Population ages 15-64 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1960–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 56.4% for population ages 15-64 in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population ages 15-64 in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 56.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 51.4%, in 1984.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 41st of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Population ages 15-64 in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 53.9% | — |
| 1961 | 53.8% | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 53.7% | -0.2% |
| 1963 | 53.6% | -0.3% |
| 1964 | 53.4% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 53.3% | -0.3% |
| 1966 | 53.1% | -0.3% |
| 1967 | 53.0% | -0.3% |
| 1968 | 52.8% | -0.3% |
| 1969 | 52.7% | -0.3% |
| 1970 | 52.5% | -0.3% |
| 1971 | 52.4% | -0.3% |
| 1972 | 52.2% | -0.3% |
| 1973 | 52.1% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 52.0% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 51.9% | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 51.8% | -0.2% |
| 1977 | 51.7% | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 51.6% | -0.2% |
| 1979 | 51.5% | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 51.5% | -0.1% |
| 1981 | 51.4% | -0.1% |
| 1982 | 51.4% | -0.1% |
| 1983 | 51.4% | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 51.4% | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 51.4% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 51.5% | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 51.5% | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 51.6% | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 51.7% | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 51.7% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 51.9% | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 51.9% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 51.9% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 51.9% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 52.0% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 52.2% | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 52.3% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 52.4% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 52.5% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 52.6% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 52.7% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 52.8% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 52.8% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 52.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 52.9% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 53.0% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 53.1% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 53.2% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 53.3% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 53.5% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 53.6% | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 53.8% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 53.9% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 54.2% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 54.4% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 54.7% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 54.9% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 55.2% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 55.5% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 55.8% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 56.1% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 56.4% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 53.3% | 52.7% | 53.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 52.0% | 51.5% | 52.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 51.4% | 51.4% | 51.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 51.8% | 51.5% | 52.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.7% | 52.3% | 53.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.8% | 53.1% | 54.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.7% | 54.9% | 56.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, per capita 0.0631 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population ages 15-64 in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Population ages 15-64 in Sub-Saharan Africa was 56.4% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population ages 15-64 recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 56.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population ages 15-64 recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.4% in 1984.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for population ages 15-64?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is population ages 15-64 rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population ages 15-64 (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.