Luanda to replace Lagos as SSA’s most populous city by 2050 – W/Bank

Angola’s capital, Luanda, is projected to overtake Lagos as Sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous city by 2050, with its population expected to increase by 78 per cent, according to the World Bank.

The report estimates that Luanda’s population will rise from 11.4 million in 2025 to 20.3 million in 2050, while Lagos is projected to grow from 12.8 million to 16.2 million over the same period.

The World Bank report showed that the projected growth would significantly reshape the ranking of the region’s largest cities.

“The population of Angola’s capital city, Luanda, is projected to increase by 78 percent from 11.4 million to 20.3 million. Luanda will overtake Lagos as SSA’s most populous city.

“Nevertheless, Lagos’s population will still swell by more than 25 percent, from 12.8 million to 16.2 million, between 2025 and 2050.” the report shows.

Although Lagos is expected to lose its position as the region’s most populous city, it will remain one of Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest urban centres.

Top 15 Sub-Saharan African Cities in 2025

According to the World Bank report, these are the Top 15 most populous cities in Africa in 2025. They are: Lagos (Nigeria), Luanda (Angola), Kinshasa (Congo, Dem. Rep.) Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Johannesburg (S. Africa), Khartoum (Sudan), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia).

Also, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Nairobi (Kenya), Onitsha (Nigeria), Accra (Ghana), Yaoundé (Cameroon), Kampala (Uganda), Kano (Nigeria) and Cape Town (S. Africa).

However, the World Bank projected that population growth among 13 other cities is expected to remain in the region’s 15 most populous cities by 2050.

Top 15 Sub-Saharan African Cities in Africa 2050

Luanda (Angola), Lagos (Nigeria), Kinshasa (Congo, Dem. Rep.), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) , Khartoum (Sudan), Johannesburg (S. Africa), Onitsha (Nigeria), Yaoundé (Cameroon), Nairobi (Kenya), Kampala (Uganda), Kampala (Uganda), Accra (Ghana), Mogadishu (Somalia).

The report also identified Bamako(Mali) and Mogadishu (Somalia) as cities expected to enter the top 15 by 2050.

Bamako’s population is projected to grow by 80 per cent, from 4.2 million in 2025 to 7.6 million in 2050, while Mogadishu is expected to record a 64 per cent increase, from 4.4 million to 7.2 million.

Meanwhile, Kano (Nigeria) and Cape Town (South Africa) are projected to drop out of the top 15 rankings, despite expected population increases of 36 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively.

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