Regions of Africa

East Africa: countries, map and key data

All 18 countries of East Africa, their capitals and how they compare, from official IMF, World Bank and UN figures.

Countries: 18
Population, 2025: 474.2 million (31.9% of Africa)
Projected population, 2030: 533.8 million
GDP, 2025: $630 billion (19.8% of Africa)
GDP per person, 2025: $1,328
Area: 7,049,853 sq km
Most people: Ethiopia
Largest economy: Kenya
Life expectancy, population-weighted: 65.8 years
Deaths under age five per 1,000 births, population-weighted: 50

The 18 countries of East Africa

BurundiCapital: Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital)14.5 million people · $469 per personEconomy Resources Government
ComorosCapital: Moroni0.91 million people · $1,768 per personEconomy Resources Government
DjiboutiCapital: Djibouti1.06 million people · $4,251 per personEconomy Resources Government
EritreaCapital: AsmaraEconomy Resources Government
EthiopiaCapital: Addis Ababa110.6 million people · $1,142 per personEconomy Resources Government
KenyaCapital: Nairobi53.4 million people · $2,548 per personEconomy Resources Government
MadagascarCapital: Antananarivo31.4 million people · $619 per personEconomy Resources Government
MalawiCapital: Lilongwe24.1 million people · $627 per personEconomy Resources Government
MauritiusCapital: Port Louis1.24 million people · $12,935 per personEconomy Resources Government
MozambiqueCapital: Maputo35.8 million people · $659 per personEconomy Resources Government
RwandaCapital: Kigali14.2 million people · $1,156 per personEconomy Resources Government
SeychellesCapital: Victoria0.12 million people · $19,007 per personEconomy Resources Government
SomaliaCapital: Mogadishu17 million people · $780 per personEconomy Government
South SudanCapital: Juba12.2 million people · $454 per personEconomy Resources Government
TanzaniaCapital: Dodoma70.5 million people · $1,270 per personEconomy Resources Government
UgandaCapital: Kampala48 million people · $1,384 per personEconomy Resources Government
ZambiaCapital: Lusaka21.9 million people · $1,310 per personEconomy Resources Government
ZimbabweCapital: Harare17.4 million people · $3,358 per personEconomy Resources Government

Map of East AfricaHover over a country for its figures and where it ranks in the region, or click it for the full country page.

East Africa (18)
Other regions

East Africa at a glance, 2025

Countries
18
Population, millions
474.2
31.9% of Africa
GDP, US$ billion
630
19.8% of Africa
GDP per person, US$
1,328

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Population of East Africa

Ethiopia has the most people in East AfricaPopulation, millions, 2025.

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Item	Value
Ethiopia	110.6
Tanzania	70.5
Kenya	53.4
Uganda	48.0
Mozambique	35.8
Madagascar	31.4
Malawi	24.1
Zambia	21.9
Zimbabwe	17.4
Somalia	17.0
Burundi	14.5
Rwanda	14.2
South Sudan	12.2
Mauritius	1.2
Djibouti	1.1
Comoros	0.9
Seychelles	0.1

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

How East Africa's populations are growingPopulation, millions: 2015 and IMF projection for 2030.

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Item	2015	2030	Change
Ethiopia	89.1	119.7	+30.6
Tanzania	52.0	80.9	+28.9
Kenya	43.3	58.0	+14.7
Uganda	35.5	57.3	+21.8
Mozambique	27.0	40.9	+13.9
Madagascar	23.5	36.1	+12.6
Malawi	18.1	27.7	+9.6
Zambia	16.4	25.0	+8.6
Somalia	12.9	19.5	+6.6
Zimbabwe	14.1	19.3	+5.2
Burundi	11.0	16.8	+5.8
Rwanda	11.3	15.6	+4.3
South Sudan	11.1	13.5	+2.4
Mauritius	1.3	1.2	-0.1
Djibouti	0.9	1.1	+0.2
Comoros	0.7	1.0	+0.3

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Economy of East Africa

Kenya is East Africa's largest economyGDP, billions of US dollars, 2025.

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Item	Value
Kenya	135.9
Ethiopia	126.4
Tanzania	89.6
Uganda	66.5
Zimbabwe	58.3
Zambia	28.7
Mozambique	23.6
Madagascar	19.5
Rwanda	16.4
Mauritius	16.1
Malawi	15.1
Somalia	13.2
Burundi	6.8
South Sudan	5.5
Djibouti	4.5
Seychelles	2.3
Comoros	1.6

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Seychelles has the highest GDP per person in East AfricaGDP per person, US dollars, 2025.

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Item	Value
Seychelles	19,007
Mauritius	12,935
Djibouti	4,251
Zimbabwe	3,358
Kenya	2,548
Comoros	1,768
Uganda	1,384
Zambia	1,310
Tanzania	1,270
Rwanda	1,156
Ethiopia	1,142
Somalia	780
Mozambique	659
Malawi	627
Madagascar	619
Burundi	469
South Sudan	454

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

GDP per person in East Africa's largest economies, 2015 to 2030US dollars per person. Figures from 2026 on are IMF projections.

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Period	Kenya	Ethiopia	Tanzania	Uganda	Zimbabwe	Zambia
2015	1,625	725	912	849	1,998	1,296
2016	1,689	814	925	827	2,036	1,239
2017	1,805	876	970	838	2,115	1,483
2018	1,987	883	954	880	3,602	1,464
2019	2,108	983	994	950	2,605	1,259
2020	2,068	1,080	1,039	919	2,565	952
2021	2,209	1,092	1,082	1,008	3,296	1,127
2022	2,266	1,218	1,146	1,079	2,993	1,447
2023	2,099	1,549	1,176	1,151	2,669	1,331
2024	2,276	1,937	1,156	1,223	2,899	1,187
2025	2,548	1,142	1,270	1,384	3,358	1,310
2026	2,785	1,131	1,325	1,453	3,718	1,882
2027	2,941	1,277	1,394	1,548	3,828	1,970
2028	3,031	1,428	1,493	1,648	3,842	2,046
2029	3,147	1,604	1,600	1,756	3,824	2,240
2030	3,295	1,796	1,712	1,858	3,805	2,362

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Health in East Africa

Seychelles has the longest life expectancy in East AfricaLife expectancy at birth, years, latest year (2024 for most).

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Item	Value
Seychelles	76.3
Mauritius	73.8
Eritrea	68.9
Uganda	68.5
Rwanda	68.0
Ethiopia	67.6
Malawi	67.6
Tanzania	67.2
Comoros	67.0
Zambia	66.5
Djibouti	66.2
Madagascar	63.8
Kenya	63.8
Burundi	63.8
Mozambique	63.8
Zimbabwe	63.1
Somalia	59.0
South Sudan	57.7

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Child deaths are highest in SomaliaDeaths before age five per 1,000 live births, latest year. Lower is better.

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Item	Value
Somalia	101
South Sudan	97
Zimbabwe	65
Madagascar	62
Mozambique	59
Djibouti	49
Malawi	49
Uganda	49
Zambia	48
Burundi	47
Ethiopia	45
Comoros	39
Kenya	39
Rwanda	38
Tanzania	37
Eritrea	34
Mauritius	15
Seychelles	14

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Natural resources in East Africa

Zambia depends most on natural resources in East AfricaNatural resource rents, % of GDP, latest year. The label shows the main resource.

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Item	Detail	Value
Zambia	minerals	35.3
Eritrea	minerals	27.0
Mozambique	forests and timber	14.9
Burundi	forests and timber	14.0
South Sudan	oil	13.1
Somalia	forests and timber	11.2
Uganda	forests and timber	7.5
Tanzania	minerals	6.7
Zimbabwe	minerals	6.4
Ethiopia	forests and timber	5.9
Madagascar	forests and timber	5.5
Malawi	forests and timber	4.2
Rwanda	forests and timber	4.0
Comoros	forests and timber	1.6
Kenya	forests and timber	1.2
Djibouti	forests and timber	0.3
Seychelles	forests and timber	0.1
Mauritius	forests and timber	0.0

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators. Last checked 24 October 2026.

East Africa compared

How East Africa compares with Africa's other regionsPopulation-weighted where marked. Click a region to open its page.


East Africa	18	474.2	630	1,328	65.8
West Africa	16	467.0	735	1,574	58.7
North Africa	6	263.3	972	3,690	72.4
Central Africa	9	210.8	370	1,758	62.3
Southern Africa	5	72.3	470	6,499	66.2

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Every country in East Africa, comparedClick a heading to sort, or a country to open its page.

Showing 18 of 18

Rank
11	Burundi	Gitega (political capital), Bujumbura (commercial capital)	14.5	6.8	469	63.8	47	14.0	3
16	Comoros	Moroni	0.9	1.6	1,768	67.0	39	1.6	2
15	Djibouti	Djibouti	1.1	4.5	4,251	66.2	49	0.3	2
18	Eritrea	Asmara	Not published	Not published	Not published	68.9	34	27.0	2
1	Ethiopia	Addis Ababa	110.6	126.4	1,142	67.6	45	5.9	3
3	Kenya	Nairobi	53.4	135.9	2,548	63.8	39	1.2	3
6	Madagascar	Antananarivo	31.4	19.5	619	63.8	62	5.5	2
7	Malawi	Lilongwe	24.1	15.1	627	67.6	49	4.2	2
14	Mauritius	Port Louis	1.2	16.1	12,935	73.8	15	0.0	2
5	Mozambique	Maputo	35.8	23.6	659	63.8	59	14.9	2
12	Rwanda	Kigali	14.2	16.4	1,156	68.0	38	4.0	3
17	Seychelles	Victoria	0.1	2.3	19,007	76.3	14	0.1	1
10	Somalia	Mogadishu	17.0	13.2	780	59.0	101	11.2	4
13	South Sudan	Juba	12.2	5.5	454	57.7	97	13.1	4
2	Tanzania	Dodoma	70.5	89.6	1,270	67.2	37	6.7	2
4	Uganda	Kampala	48.0	66.5	1,384	68.5	49	7.5	4
8	Zambia	Lusaka	21.9	28.7	1,310	66.5	48	35.3	1
9	Zimbabwe	Harare	17.4	58.3	3,358	63.1	65	6.4	2

Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.

Regional blocs in East Africa

The UN regions are a statistical grouping. Trade and political blocs have their own membership, and some countries belong to more than one.

East African Community (EAC): 8 members

Burundi
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Central Africa)
Kenya
Rwanda
Somalia
South Sudan
Tanzania
Uganda

Source: EAC member list, checked 24 October 2026.

Southern African Development Community (SADC): 16 members

Angola (Central Africa)
Botswana (Southern Africa)
Comoros
Democratic Republic of the Congo (Central Africa)
Eswatini (Southern Africa)
Lesotho (Southern Africa)
Madagascar
Malawi
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia (Southern Africa)
Seychelles
South Africa (Southern Africa)
Tanzania
Zambia
Zimbabwe

Source: SADC member list, checked 24 October 2026.

Africa's other regions

West Africa16 countries · 467 million people · largest economy Nigeria
North Africa6 countries · 263.3 million people · largest economy Egypt
Central Africa9 countries · 210.8 million people · largest economy Angola
Southern Africa5 countries · 72.3 million people · largest economy South Africa
All regions of AfricaMap and comparison of every region

Method and sources

Countries are grouped by the United Nations M49 standard, where East Africa is "Eastern Africa". Population, GDP and GDP per person are from the International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP) (October 2026); figures from 2026 on are IMF projections. Life expectancy, child mortality and natural resource rents are from the World Bank's World Development Indicators. Regional averages are weighted by population. We do not estimate or fill gaps. Figures checked 24 October 2026.

More: all Africa rankings, richest countries in Africa, African countries by population, life expectancy in Africa, natural resources in Africa, debt in Africa, coups in Africa, human development, literacy, internet use. Compare East Africa's largest countries side by side.

Frequently asked questions

How many countries are in East Africa?

18: Burundi, Comoros, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This follows the United Nations' M49 grouping, where the region is called Eastern Africa. Regional blocs such as EAC or SADC draw the line differently.

Which country in East Africa has the largest population?

Ethiopia, with 110.6 million people in 2025 according to the IMF, 23.3% of the region.

What is the largest economy in East Africa?

Kenya, with GDP of $136 billion in 2025, 21.6% of the region's total.

Which is the richest country in East Africa?

Measured by GDP per person, Seychelles: $19,007 in 2025. The poorest by the same measure is South Sudan, at $454.

What is the population of East Africa?

474.2 million in 2025, 31.9% of Africa's population. The IMF projects 533.8 million by 2030.

Which countries are in EAC?

East African Community (EAC) has 8 members: Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

Which countries are in SADC?

Southern African Development Community (SADC) has 16 members: Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.