Today, it is home to 1.2 billion people, and the United Nations expects the population to double by the year 2050. And although the economy is growing faster than the population, it is doing so only slightly. Because higher output has to be shared with ever more people, the World Bank expects income per capita growth to lag behind total growth substantially.
Africa’s young and growing population can be a boon or a bane. The demands of the young population are growing by the day, in part due to the increased use of mobile phones and social media. In an unfavourable economic and political environment, this can lead to frustration, conflict and a high willingness to emigrate.