- The National Insight presents the Top 10 African Cities with the Highest Urban Population in 2024.
- African urban population has grown rapidly courtesy of developing cities, attracting millions of manpower annually.
- According to the CIA World Factbook, Cairo and Kinshasa possess the highest urban population in Africa and among the highest in the world.
- Both Cairo and Kinshasa are the administrative capitals of Egypt and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), respectively.
Africa is the second-largest continent in the world, both geographically and demographically, after Asia. Africa is also home to some of the most populous countries in the world. Nigeria has the highest population in Africa and sixth in the world. The continent has the highest fertility rate and birth rate, and the population is projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050.
The rural to urban migration in Africa has been rising annually, with the propotion of a fast-growing population. One of the major causes of urban migration is employment opportunities that are significantly lower in rural settlements. The job inefficiency in rural areas, where most people are agriculturists, is attributed to inadequate financial incentives and bad governance.
The rapid influx of people to the urban centers has triggered massive overpopulation in some of the fastest-growing African cities, leading to a housing crisis. The housing crisis is then attributed to the growing squallor settlements as a result of better-paying jobs and expensive housing. It is worth noting that some African countries, despite medium growth, have the most expensive housing units.
Comparing the continent’s population growth at the time when most of the countries were granted independence (early 1960s), the population has grown tenfold in the last sixty years. Nigeria is populated, but its city is not the highest populated in Africa at the time of the writing of this article.
Cairo City, Egypt, is the most populous city in Africa, according to the demographic analysis conducted by the CIA World Factbook in 2024. Cairo has a population of 22.183, among the highest urban population in the world. The city of Alexandria, one of the oldest cities in Africa with a vibrant historical background, is among the bustling cities with millions of people in modern Egypt.
Cairo, despite having such a huge population, has one of the best structurally planned urban developments in Africa. It boasts the best roads and subways, making movements and transportation more agile and flexible than ever. It’s accessibility to the Mediterranean coastline presents its status as an economically viable city, promoting multi-sectoral industries and thus attracting millions of annual population worldwide.
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, a former Belgian colony, does not only have a bustling population but also a charming cultural diversity that unites its multi-ethnic community in the city. DRC being a mineral belt of Africa, producing some of the most precious minerals, such as cobalt, has led to the growth of Kinshasa, now the second most populous city in Africa with a staggering 16.316 million people.
The Following are the Top 10 African Cities with Highest Urban Population in 2024
Source: The CIA World FactBook
