African Demography

Abstract

Like many other countries worldwide, Africa faces a rapidly increasing elderly population; however, most African countries also still have very high levels of fertility, high rates of population growth, and very young populations. This means African countries will have to address the doubling or even the tripling, by 2050, of their working-age population and better prepare for the future of their upcoming young generations, while aiming for a "modern" demographic regime of low mortality and low fertility. Such a regime would put African countries in a position to capture a demographic dividend, realize inclusive growth, reduce poverty levels, and achieve economic convergence. Socioeconomic advances help foster demographic transformations, and improvements in demographic indicators also help trigger socioeconomic advances, but this process is not automatic. Authorities will need to intervene swiftly on mortality, and particularly on fertility, through adequate population and health policies and programs.

The Politics of Family Planning Policies and Programs in sub‐Saharan Africa

“…: 1645). This is in sharp contrast to the experience of many emerging market economies (i.e., economies with middle per capita income) where contraceptive coverage has increased over sustained periods of time at the rate of 2 and sometimes 3 percentage points per year, resulting in much higher CPRs (Guengant and May : 228–229).…”

“…However, a number of sub‐Saharan African countries (e.g., Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and all Southern African countries) have already reached total levels of demand for family planning of 70 percent or more, similar to levels observed in emerging market economies. Nonetheless, vast portions of SSA (especially Western and Central Africa) appear to be still several decades away from achieving the contraceptive revolution (Guengant and May : 229).…”

The Role of Public Population Institutions on Fertility Outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa

“…However, several SSA countries (e.g., Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, and all Southern African countries) have already reached family planning total demand levels (not actual levels of use) of 75 percent or more (the level needed to achieve the contraceptive revolution), similar to levels observed in the emerging market economies. As a whole, however, SSA appears to be still decades away from achieving its contraceptive revolution (Guengant and May, 2013).…”

“…However, several common causes can explain the unprecedented population growth that the region has experienced since World War II and will continue to experience during this century (Guengant and May, 2013;United Nations, 2017).…”

What Works for Africa's Poorest

“…This chapter highlights the need, on multiple grounds, to target Africa's youth in poverty reduction programmes. First, young people constitute large proportions of national populations: over 40 per cent of the population in all but three African countries (Guengant and May, 2013). The term 'youth bulge' has become synonymous with large youth populations in some policy circles, raising fears of large frustrated youth cohorts on national development outcomes (Urdal, 2008).…”