African Country Comparisons

Side-by-side comparisons of 30 pairs of African countries. Each page answers which country is bigger by area, population and economy, then compares GDP per capita, currency, official languages, government, life expectancy, time zone and calling code, with a section on the history, trade and travel links between the two. All pages use the same data basis, so figures match across comparisons.

Neighbouring countries

Pairs that share a land border, with a section on the border itself and its main crossings (the Algeria–Morocco land border has been closed since 1994).

Africa’s largest economies and populations

Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Algeria and Morocco compared on size, output and living standards.

West Africa

English- and French-speaking West Africa, from Lagos to Dakar and Abidjan.

East and Southern Africa across regions

Pairs from different regions that are often compared by students, investors and travellers.

The 20 Countries at a Glance

Every comparison draws on the figures below, sorted by population. Nigeria is Africa’s most populous country by a wide margin, Algeria the largest by area, and South Africa and Egypt the largest economies in US-dollar terms in 2024, ahead of Algeria and Nigeria. Dollar GDP rankings can change quickly with exchange rates: Nigeria’s dollar GDP fell sharply after the naira was devalued in 2023–24.

Country	Population (2024)	Area (km²)	GDP 2024 (US$ bn)	GDP per capita
Nigeria	232.7 million	923,768	252	$1,100
Ethiopia	132.1 million	1,104,300	145	$1,100
Egypt	116.5 million	1,001,449	389	$3,350
Tanzania	68.6 million	945,087	79	$1,150
South Africa	64.0 million	1,221,037	400	$6,250
Kenya	56.4 million	580,367	124	$2,200
Uganda	50.0 million	241,038	54	$1,100
Algeria	46.8 million	2,381,741	265	$5,650
Morocco	38.1 million	446,550	155	$4,050
Angola	37.9 million	1,246,700	85	$2,250
Ghana	34.4 million	238,533	80	$2,350
Ivory Coast	31.9 million	322,463	87	$2,750
Cameroon	29.1 million	475,442	53	$1,800
Mali	24.5 million	1,240,192	26	$1,050
Zambia	21.3 million	752,618	26	$1,200
Senegal	18.5 million	196,722	32	$1,750
Zimbabwe	16.6 million	390,757	44	$2,650
Rwanda	14.3 million	26,338	14	$980
Tunisia	12.3 million	163,610	53	$4,300
Botswana	2.5 million	581,730	19	$7,600

Population: UN World Population Prospects 2024 (mid-2024). GDP: IMF/World Bank 2024 estimates in current US dollars (Egypt: fiscal year 2023/24; Nigeria: rebased series). GDP per capita calculated from these figures. Morocco’s area excludes Western Sahara.

How to Read These Comparisons

Bigger can mean three things. A country can be larger by land area, by population or by economic output, and the answers often differ. Algeria is five times Morocco’s size but its population is only about a fifth larger; Ethiopia has more people than Egypt but a much smaller economy.

GDP is nominal. Figures are in current US dollars at market exchange rates, which is the standard way to compare the size of economies but makes countries with weakened currencies look smaller. GDP per capita is a rough guide to average output per person, not to household income, and says nothing about inequality.

Regions follow the UN geoscheme. Pages label countries by UN region (North, West, East, Central/Middle and Southern Africa). Some countries are commonly placed elsewhere: Zambia and Zimbabwe are Eastern Africa in the UN scheme but usually described as Southern Africa. See the regions of Africa for details.

For single-country detail, see the country guides, or browse rankings such as the most populous countries in Africa, the largest countries by area and the richest countries in Africa.

Last updated: September 2026.