Africa's most populous cities (2026)

This map, created by Sam Parker for Visual Capitalist in 2026, shows the 50 most populated cities in Africa, according to United Nations data.

The map shows, with circles of different sizes depending on the population, the 50 most populated cities across Africa, with the top ten being the following:

• Cairo, Egypt (25,566,000)
• Lagos, Nigeria (12,792,000
• Luanda, Angola (11,370,000)
• Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (10,944,000)
• Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (7,795,000)
• Alexandria, Egypt (7,267,000)
• Johannesburg, South Africa (7,077,000)
• Khartoum, Sudan (6,809,000)
• Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (6,706,000)
• Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire (6,622,000)

It is interesting to note how, in addition to the large capitals of Africa, a significant concentration of large cities can be observed on the coasts of the Gulf of Guinea.

Sources

• Mapped: The 50 Largest Cities in Africa by Population