World region · 45 countries profiled
Generation Alpha & Beta
in Sub-Saharan Africa
Both cohorts across 45 countries, aggregated — with the fertility, schooling and connectivity figures that explain the totals, and the country-by-country detail underneath.
Sub-Saharan Africa has approximately 490.4 million Generation Alpha people across 45 profiled countries — about 25.5% of the global cohort — with a population-weighted fertility rate of 4.3 and a median age of 19. Its child population is growing, projected +24.1% by 2040.
25.5% of the global Alpha cohort, across 45 countries.
Larger than the Alpha cohort — this region grows.
All of them Generation Beta.
Median age 19, fertility 4.3.
Countries with a growing child population
Countries with a shrinking child population
Under 15, population-weighted
Child population to 2040 (+24.1%)
Sub-Saharan Africa against the world average
Regional figures are population-weighted, so a country of 230 million counts for more than one of 5 million. An unweighted average of the same countries would look very different and would mean very little.
Split by direction
Growing child populations
Shrinking child populations
Country by country
All 45 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
| Country | Gen Alpha | Share of pop. | Under 15 | Fertility | Median age | School starts | To 2040 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 95m | 40.9% | 41% | 4.8 | 18 | 6 | ↑ +34% |
| Ethiopia | 48m | 36.4% | 37% | 3.9 | 19 | 7 | ↑ +18% |
| DR Congo | 44m | 40.4% | 45% | 6 | 16 | 6 | ↑ +41% |
| Tanzania | 28m | 40% | 42% | 4.6 | 17 | 7 | ↑ +33% |
| Uganda | 20m | 39.2% | 44% | 4.4 | 16 | 6 | ↑ +30% |
| Kenya | 19m | 33.3% | 36% | 3.2 | 20 | 6 | ↑ +8% |
| Sudan | 19m | 37.3% | 39% | 4.3 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +22% |
| South Africa | 17m | 26.6% | 28% | 2.2 | 28 | 7 | → −2% |
| Angola | 15m | 39.5% | 44% | 5.1 | 16 | 6 | ↑ +35% |
| Mozambique | 14m | 40% | 43% | 4.6 | 17 | 6 | ↑ +31% |
| Madagascar | 13m | 39.1% | 39% | 3.8 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +19% |
| Ghana | 12m | 34.3% | 36% | 3.5 | 21 | 6 | ↑ +12% |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 12m | 37.5% | 41% | 4.2 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +22% |
| Cameroon | 12m | 40% | 41% | 4.3 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +24% |
| Mali | 12m | 45.9% | 46% | 5.3 | 16 | 7 | ↑ +29% |
| Burkina Faso | 10m | 41.1% | 41% | 3.9 | 18 | 6 | ↑ +9% |
| Chad | 10m | 45.8% | 46% | 5.8 | 16 | 6 | ↑ +32% |
| Somalia | 10m | 46.8% | 47% | 5.8 | 16 | 6 | ↑ +30% |
| Zambia | 9m | 40.9% | 41% | 3.9 | 18 | 7 | ↑ +23% |
| Malawi | 9m | 39.9% | 40% | 3.4 | 18 | 6 | ↑ +19% |
| Senegal | 7m | 36.8% | 41% | 4.2 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +20% |
| Zimbabwe | 7m | 41.2% | 40% | 3.4 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +10% |
| Guinea | 6m | 40.9% | 41% | 4 | 18 | 7 | ↑ +12% |
| Benin | 6m | 41.4% | 41% | 4.3 | 18 | 6 | ↑ +18% |
| Rwanda | 6m | 36.9% | 37% | 3.5 | 20 | 6 | ↑ +15% |
| South Sudan | 5m | 37.9% | 38% | 3.6 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +17% |
| Togo | 4m | 40.4% | 40% | 4 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +19% |
| Sierra Leone | 3m | 37.8% | 38% | 3.5 | 20 | 6 | ↑ +8% |
| Central African Republic | 3m | 49.1% | 49% | 5.7 | 15 | 6 | ↑ +37% |
| Republic of the Congo | 3m | 40.9% | 40% | 4 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +23% |
| Liberia | 2m | 39% | 39% | 3.7 | 19 | 6 | ↑ +14% |
| Mauritania | 2m | 41.8% | 42% | 4.5 | 18 | 6 | ↑ +25% |
| Eritrea | 1m | 37.8% | 38% | 3.6 | 20 | 6 | ↑ +20% |
| Namibia | 1m | 37.5% | 37% | 3.1 | 22 | 7 | → +3% |
| Gambia | 1m | 37.9% | 40% | 3.7 | 19 | 7 | ↑ +6% |
| Gabon | 959k | 36.9% | 36% | 3.5 | 22 | 6 | ↑ +14% |
| Guinea-Bissau | 881k | 38.3% | 38% | 3.6 | 20 | 6 | ↑ +11% |
| Lesotho | 815k | 34% | 34% | 2.6 | 22 | 6 | ↓ −4% |
| Equatorial Guinea | 736k | 36.8% | 37% | 4 | 21 | 7 | ↑ +21% |
| Eswatini | 419k | 32.2% | 33% | 2.6 | 23 | 6 | ↓ −5% |
| Comoros | 331k | 36.9% | 37% | 3.7 | 21 | 6 | ↑ +11% |
| Mauritius | 184k | 14.1% | 15% | 1.2 | 38 | 5 | ↓ −17% |
| Cape Verde | 131k | 24.7% | 25% | 1.5 | 30 | 6 | ↓ −28% |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 92k | 37.5% | 37% | 3.5 | 20 | 6 | ↑ +16% |
| Seychelles | 27k | 19.8% | 20% | 2.1 | 35 | 6 | ↓ −5% |
Frequently asked
How many Gen Alpha people are in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Approximately 490.4 million across the 45 countries profiled in the region, about 25.5% of the global Generation Alpha cohort.
How many Gen Beta children will be born in Sub-Saharan Africa?
About 625 million between 2025 and 2039, at roughly 110,905 births a day today.
What is the fertility rate in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The population-weighted average is 4.3 children per woman, against a replacement level of 2.1 and a world average of about 2.2.
Is the child population in Sub-Saharan Africa growing or shrinking?
It is growing. Of 45 countries, 38 have a growing under-15 population and 5 a shrinking one.
Which country in Sub-Saharan Africa has the most Gen Alpha?
Nigeria, with about 95 million.
The other regions
South Asia
463.1 million Generation Alpha
East Asia & Pacific
414.8 million Generation Alpha
Middle East & North Africa
182.2 million Generation Alpha
Europe & Central Asia
146.5 million Generation Alpha
Latin America
119.9 million Generation Alpha
North America
99 million Generation Alpha
Oceania
6.2 million Generation Alpha
AlphaBetaMinds (2026). Generation Alpha and Generation Beta in Sub-Saharan Africa. Retrieved from https://alphabetaminds.com/regions/sub-saharan-africa