FULL LIST: Nigeria retains position as Africa’s most populous country, now 242.4 million

What the report says

The Punch reported that Nigeria remains Africa’s largest country by population, citing Worldometer estimates that put its 2026 population at 242.4 million. The report, published July 22, 2026, said Nigeria continues to lead the continent ahead of Ethiopia, estimated at 138.9 million, and Egypt, at 120.1 million.

According to the figures cited by The Punch, the rest of Africa’s 10 most populous countries are the Democratic Republic of Congo with about 116.5 million people, Tanzania with 72.6 million, South Africa with 65.5 million, Kenya with 58.6 million, Sudan with 53.3 million, Uganda with 52.8 million and Algeria with 48 million. The report said Nigeria added roughly 4.9 million people over the past year, with a median age of 18 and a fertility rate of 4.2 children per woman.

The Punch noted that Nigeria’s latest figure is an estimate, not an official census result. The country’s last official census was conducted in 2006, when the population was recorded at 140.4 million. The report also cited World Bank data estimating Nigeria’s population growth rate at 2.1 per cent in 2025.

The ranking matters because population size affects planning for jobs, infrastructure, education, health care and markets. The Punch also placed the figures within a wider continental trend, noting that Africa is expected to remain the world’s fastest-growing region by population, with growth shaped by youthful demographics, fertility levels and health improvements.