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Indicators · Market size

Urban population

Share of people living in areas defined as urban by each national statistics office.

Why it matters

Cities concentrate spending power, formal jobs and infrastructure. Retail, logistics, real estate and digital businesses usually start here.

Read with care

Each country defines "urban" differently, so compare trends within a country more than levels across countries.

Source

World Bank

% of population. 54 African countries, 1990 to 2025.

Urban share: highest in Angola, lowest in Malawi

Urban population, % of population. Latest year available, 2025. 16 of 16 countries have data.

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Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: urban shareiWhy it mattersCities concentrate spending power, formal jobs and infrastructure. Retail, logistics, real estate and digital businesses usually start here.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%20%40%60%80%Angola71.5%Botswana68.0%South Africa63.8%Namibia50.9%Zambia45.9%Seychelles45.5%DRC45.1%Lesotho44.7%Zimbabwe40.5%Mauritius39.0%Mozambique37.2%Tanzania36.9%Comoros33.9%Madagascar32.9%Eswatini26.7%Malawi17.6%median 42.6%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 42.6%Lowest: Malawi 17.6%Highest: Angola 71.5%

Over time

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Urban population against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Urban shareDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarMalawiZambia
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Angola71.5%2025up 4.0 points since 2020A
2Botswana68.0%2025up 1.5 point since 2020A
3South Africa63.8%2025up 0.4 points since 2020A
4Namibia50.9%2025up 2.3 points since 2020A
5Zambia45.9%2025up 2.1 points since 2020A
6Seychelles45.5%2025up 1.2 point since 2020A
7DRC45.1%2025up 1.9 point since 2020A
8Lesotho44.7%2025up 5.0 points since 2020A
9Zimbabwe40.5%2025up 3.5 points since 2020A
10Mauritius39.0%2025little changed since 2020A
11Mozambique37.2%2025up 3.3 points since 2020A
12Tanzania36.9%2025up 3.0 points since 2020A
13Comoros33.9%2025up 1.9 point since 2020A
14Madagascar32.9%2025up 2.2 points since 2020A
15Eswatini26.7%2025up 2.1 points since 2020A
16Malawi17.6%2025up 1.3 point since 2020A