Proportion of urban population living in slums in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Proportion of urban population living in slums was 49.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Proportion of urban population living in slums in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 49.4% for proportion of urban population living in slums in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of urban population living in slums in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 65.9% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 49.4%, in 2024.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Proportion of urban population living in slums in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 60.1% | — |
| 2001 | 65.9% | +9.6% |
| 2002 | 65.1% | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 64.3% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 63.7% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 62.9% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 62.1% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 61.2% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 60.5% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 59.7% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 58.9% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 58.1% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 57.3% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 56.5% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 55.7% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 54.9% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 54.0% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 53.5% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 52.8% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 52.5% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 51.5% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 50.9% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 50.3% | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 49.8% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 49.4% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 62.5% | 59.7% | 65.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.4% | 52.5% | 58.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.4% | 49.4% | 51.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 South Sudan 94.2% compare
- 2 Mali 92.5% compare
- 3 Sao Tome and Principe 82.4% compare
- 4 Chad 82.0% compare
- 5 Congo 75.3% compare
More infrastructure data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 1.20 billion (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions 90.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 5.00 million (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions 0.4 per 100 people (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per capita 0.0038 units per person (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, annual growth rate -16.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Fixed telephone subscriptions, gaps filled 5.00 million (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per capita 0.9049 units per person (2025)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0.0005 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of urban population living in slums in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Proportion of urban population living in slums in Sub-Saharan Africa was 49.4% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of urban population living in slums recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 65.9% in 2001.
- What is the lowest proportion of urban population living in slums recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.4% in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for proportion of urban population living in slums?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 14 groups with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of urban population living in slums rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of urban population living in slums (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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