Africa at 60 Leidenasa 2020 Leiden African Studies Assembly
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AFRICA Africa at 60 LeidenASA 2020 Leiden African Studies Assembly Population growth Africa 1950-2020 Independence African countries Population Africa1960 1,400 age before 1960 80-84 75-79 colonial countries TUNISIA in 1960 male female 1,200 70-74 MOROCCO after 1960 65-69 60-64 independent countries 55-59 1,000 50-54 WESTERN ALGERIA LIBYA EGYPT SAHARA 45-49 40-44 800 35-39 population x million 30-34 MAURITANIA CAPE 25-29 ERITREA 20-24 VERDE MALI NIGER 600 SUDAN 15-19 SENEGAL CHAD GAMBIA 10-14 BURKINA DJIBOUTI 5-9 GUINEA GUINEA FASO 0-4 400 BENIN BISSAU ETHIOPIA GHANA NIGERIA SOUTH SIERRA CÔTE CENTRAL SUDAN 125 100 75 50 25 0 25 50 75 100 125 LEONE D’IVOIRE AFRICAN REP. x million 200 TOGO LIBERIA CAMEROON SOMALIA EQUATORIAL GUINEA UGANDA Population Africa 2020 0 CONGO KENYA age GABON SAO TOMÉ RWANDA 85-89 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 2020 AND PRINCIPE DEMOCRATIC BURUNDI 80-84 male female Source: https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/africa-population/ REPUBLIC SEYCHELLES 75-79 CONGO 70-74 65-69 TANZANIA The graph shows that Africa’s population has been growing fast between 1950 and 2020: 60-64 55-59 from slightly more than 200 million in 1950 and close to 300 million in 1960 to more than COMORES ANGOLA MALAWI 50-54 1.3 billion in 2020. It also shows that 1960 was indeed a watershed year (‘The Year of 45-49 ZAMBIA 40-44 Africa’): before 1960 only 30% of Africa’s population lived in politically independent 35-39 countries. At the end of 1960 this percentage had increased to 68. ZIMBABWE MOZAMBIQUE 30-34 NAMIBIA MADAGASCAR 25-29 Making this graph meant taking a few politically sensitive decisions about the years of 20-24 BOTSWANA MAURITIUS 15-19 independence. For South Africa we used 1994, the year in which Nelson Mandela became 10-14 the first President after free democratic elections. For South Sudan we took its year of ESWATINI 5-9 0-4 independence, 2011 (so before 2011 it was regarded as an internal colony of Sudan). And we SOUTH LESOTHO AFRICA 125 100 75 50 25 0 25 50 75 100 125 used the approach of the African Union towards the Western Sahara, regarding it as an x million independent country from 1975 onwards, despite the fact that in practice it is part of the Source: https://www.worldometers.info/demographics/demographics-of-africa/#population-pyramid Kingdom of Morocco. The graph clearly shows that for many Africans living now (most of them young), the Both in 1960 and in 2020 Africa’s population composition really colonial period is long ago; something belonging to the stories of their grandparents. shows a pyramid, although the base in 1960 was even more extreme than in 2020, showing a gradual (but slow) shift to lower Although Africa is still lagging behind all other continents, social indica- fertility levels. tors show major improvements and rapid changes between 1960-1990 Adult literacy rates Africa 2016 and 1990-2020, with faster change during the last thirty years than during Population composition Africa 1960 and 2020 age and gender, absolute and relative figures the first thirty years. Within Africa there are major differences, though, as the map of adult literacy clearly shows: the highest literacy rates can be 1960 2020 found in South Africa and Libya, and the lowest rates in a belt from West male female male female Africa to Ethiopia, and also with low figures in Mozambique, Angola, million % million % million % million % and Morocco. And almost everywhere there is a better performance Children 61 22 60 21 274 20 267 20 among men than among women. Youth 36 13 36 13 183 14 181 13 35-65 39 14 41 14 192 14 198 15 Social indicators Africa 1960, 1990 and 2020 Senior 4 1 5 2 21 2 26 2 1960 1990 2020 Total 141 50 142 50 670 50 671 50 Median age (years) 18.7 17.6 19.7 Total fertility rate (children per woman) 4.4 6.6 6.2 The table not only shows the tremendous growth in population Life expectancy males 41 50 62 numbers in all categories, but also the slow but gradual shift to a < 50% Life expectancy females 44 54 66 50-59% more balanced population in age categories. The overall gender Deaths under age 5 per 1000 259 166 63 60-69% balance was and is almost complete. The dependency ratio Deaths under age 1 per 1000 (infant mortality) 155 101 42 70-79% (children and seniors compared to the ‘working age’ population) Urban population (million) 588 80-89% 53 200 was and is high, but decreasing: 0.85 in 1960 and 0.79 in 2020. 90-100% Urbanization rate 19 32 44 no data Adult literacy rate SSA % 20 52 65* Source Tables: Worldometers Source Adult literacy rate: http://uis.unesco.org/sites/default/files/documents/fs45-literacy-rates-continue-rise-generation-to-next-en-2017.pdf *2016: m72/f57 African agglomerations 1960 African agglomerations 2019 (> 2 million inhabitants) Algiers Tunis Algiers Tunis Rabat Rabat Casablanca Casablanca Alexandria Alexandria Cairo Cairo Dakar Khartoum Dakar Khartoum Bamako Niamey Bamako Kano Kano Ouagadougou Ouagadougou Abuja Abuja Conakry Conakry Lomé Ibadan Addis Ababa Lomé Ibadan Addis Ababa Kumasi Lagos Kumasi Lagos Abidjan Port Harcourt Abidjan Port Harcourt Accra Douala Douala Yaoundé Kampala Accra Yaoundé Kampala Nairobi Nairobi Brazzaville Brazzaville Kinshasa Kinshasa Dar es Salaam Dar es Salaam Mbuji-Maji Mbuji-Maji Luanda Luanda Lubumbashi Lubumbashi The African Studies Centre Leiden Number of people Lusaka (www.ascleiden.nl), together with the Lusaka in agglomeration Leiden African Studies Assembly in millions Harare Antananarivo (www.ascleiden.nl/content/leiden-asa) Harare Antananarivo 20 reflects on ‘Africa at 60’ during a year 15 full of Africa-related activities in 2020. 10 (www.ascleiden.nl/africa2020) 5 Johannesburg/ Maputo Johannesburg/ Maputo Rand For detailed information about all African Rand 2 countries see the Countryportal. Durban Durban 1 (http://countryportal.ascleiden.nl/) 0.1 Cape Town Cape Town Source: Wikipedia, populationstat.com Source (situation per 1.1.2019): © ASC Leiden 2020 / DeVink Mapdesign and Macrotrends.net http://www.citypopulation.de/world/Agglomerations.html AFRICA Africa at 60 LeidenASA 2020 Leiden African Studies Assembly Africa as a whole: population growth, crop volume growth and Africa as a whole: crop area and yield levels, 1961 and 2017 The African Studies Centre Leiden (ASCL) livestock numbers growth, 1961 and 2017 1961 2017 The African Studies Centre Leiden, founded in 1961 2017 change Crops area yield area yield 1947, is the only knowledge institute in the Population (million) 295 1264 x4.3 (million ha) (ton/ha) (million ha) (ton/ha) Netherlands devoted entirely to the study of Cereals (million tonnes) 46 201 x4.3 Cerials total 57.0 0.8 123.0 1.6 Africa. It undertakes research and is involved in Roots and tubers (million tonnes) 48 318 x6.6 - maize 15.0 1.0 41.0 2.1 teaching about Africa and aims to promote a Stock units* (million) 121 376 x3.1 - sorghum 13.0 0.8 27.0 1.0 better understanding of African societies. The - millet * calculated as camel = 1; cattle = 0.7; goats, sheep and pigs = 0.1; 11.0 0.6 20.0 0.7 Centre is part of Leiden University and partici- - wheat chicken = 0.01 7.0 0.7 10.0 2.6 pates in the LeidenGlobal network. The ASCL’s - barley 4.0 0.4 5.0 1.3 work is not only of importance to researchers but Despite Africa’s enormous growth in population numbers, cereal produc- - rice 3.0 1.6 15.0 2.4 also to policymakers, journalists, NGOs, tion (most important: maize, sorghum, rice, wheat and millet) kept pace Roots & Tubers 8.0 5.8 38.0 8.3 businesses and other organizations. with population growth; roots and tubers (most important: cassava, yams, - cassava 5.6 5.7 20.0 8.8 Research The ASCL’s research programme lasts sweet potatoes and potatoes) increased much faster and livestock numbers - yams 1.1 7.2 8.0 8.5 for a period of five years. Projects are multidisci- (measured in stock units) lagged behind, but also increased a lot in - cocyam 0.6 4.8 1.5 4.9 plinary, empirical in nature and are carried out in absolute numbers. - sweet potatoes 0.6 5.3 4.7 5.9 cooperation with African colleagues and institu- - potatoes 0.3 8.2 1.9 13.2 tions by the Centre’s researchers, Collaborative Africa as a whole: livestock numbers (live animals), 1961 and 2017 Pulses 7.1 0.5 25.1 0.8 Research Groups and PhD and Research Stock numbers in million 1961 2017 change Bananas 0.5 6.0 2.1 9.6 Master’s students. Sugarcane 0.4 65.9 1.6 58.0 Camels 9 30 x3.5 Education The ASCL organizes a one-year Treenuts Cattle 123 347 x2.8 0.4 0.6 4.3 0.5 Master and a two-year Research Master in Groundnuts Goats 94 423 x4.5 5.9 0.8 14.7 0.8 African Studies in cooperation with Leiden Coconuts Sheep 135 381 x2.8 0.4 3.2 1.2 1.7 University’s Faculty of Humanities. The ASCL Oil palm Pigs 6 38 x6.6 3.4 3.3 4.6 4.3 co-organizes two joint LDE-minors on Africa. Chicken 274 1919 x7.0 Soybeans 0.2 0.4 2.3 1.4 Library The ASCL’s Library, Documentation Stock units* 121 376 x3.1 Fruits 4.5 5.7 12.4 8.9 and Information Department has the most Stock units* / person 0.41 0.30 x0.7 Vegetables 1.9 6.4 9.4 8.5 extensive and specialized collection on Africa in Cocoa 3.3 0.3 8.1 0.5 * calculated as camel = 1; cattle = 0.7; goats, sheep and pigs = 0.1; the Netherlands in the fields of the social scienc- Sheanuts 0.1 2.0 0.6 0.9 chicken = 0.01 es (including law and economics) and the Coffee 2.2 0.4 2.9 0.4 humanities.