North Africa: countries, map and key data
All 6 countries of North Africa, their capitals and how they compare, from official IMF, World Bank and UN figures.
- Countries
- 6
- Population, 2025
- 263.3 million (17.7% of Africa)
- Projected population, 2030
- 287.6 million
- GDP, 2025
- $972 billion (30.6% of Africa)
- GDP per person, 2025
- $3,690
- Area
- 7,630,890 sq km
- Most people
- Egypt
- Largest economy
- Egypt
- Life expectancy, population-weighted
- 72.4 years
- Deaths under age five per 1,000 births, population-weighted
- 28
The 6 countries of North Africa
- AlgeriaCapital: AlgiersEconomyResourcesGovernment
- EgyptCapital: CairoEconomyResourcesGovernment
- LibyaCapital: Tripoli (Tarabulus)EconomyResourcesGovernment
- MoroccoCapital: RabatEconomyResourcesGovernment
- SudanCapital: KhartoumEconomyResourcesGovernment
- TunisiaCapital: TunisEconomyResourcesGovernment
- North Africa (6)
- Other regions
Countries
6
Population, millions
263.3
17.7% of Africa
GDP, US$ billion
972
30.6% of Africa
GDP per person, US$
3,690
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 North Africa
View the data as a table
| Item | 2015 | 2030 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt | 89.0 | 120.3 | +31.3 |
| Sudan | 38.4 | 57.3 | +18.9 |
| Algeria | 40.0 | 50.2 | +10.2 |
| Morocco | 34.1 | 39.3 | +5.2 |
| Tunisia | 11.4 | 12.6 | +1.2 |
| Libya | 6.5 | 7.9 | +1.4 |
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 North Africa
View the data as a table
| Period | Egypt | Algeria | Morocco | Tunisia | Libya | Sudan |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 3,934 | 4,692 | 3,236 | 4,015 | 7,459 | 1,679 |
| 2016 | 3,862 | 4,427 | 3,235 | 3,848 | 7,526 | 1,639 |
| 2017 | 2,593 | 4,554 | 3,401 | 3,619 | 9,965 | 1,199 |
| 2018 | 2,710 | 4,568 | 3,616 | 3,628 | 11,196 | 800 |
| 2019 | 3,214 | 4,453 | 3,623 | 3,529 | 9,961 | 728 |
| 2020 | 3,802 | 3,724 | 3,375 | 3,549 | 6,656 | 794 |
| 2021 | 4,146 | 4,136 | 3,911 | 3,885 | 4,936 | 772 |
| 2022 | 4,587 | 4,946 | 3,579 | 3,680 | 5,991 | 717 |
| 2023 | 3,744 | 5,353 | 3,961 | 3,980 | 6,017 | 701 |
| 2024 | 3,594 | 5,749 | 4,346 | 4,183 | 6,686 | 551 |
| 2025 | 3,379 | 5,997 | 4,878 | 4,637 | 5,998 | 724 |
| 2026 | 4,024 | 6,910 | 5,141 | 5,053 | 7,557 | 597 |
| 2027 | 4,331 | 6,975 | 5,408 | 5,038 | 7,323 | 512 |
| 2028 | 4,502 | 6,875 | 5,768 | 5,105 | 6,683 | 548 |
| 2029 | 4,842 | 6,780 | 6,186 | 5,173 | 6,397 | 589 |
| 2030 | 5,094 | 6,744 | 6,632 | 5,284 | 6,142 | 628 |
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 North Africa
Natural resources in North Africa
North Africa compared
| North Africa | 6 | 263.3 | 972 | 3,690 | 72.4 |
| West Africa | 16 | 467.0 | 735 | 1,574 | 58.7 |
| East Africa | 18 | 474.2 | 630 | 1,328 | 65.8 |
| 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.
Source: International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook database, October 2026 (DataMapper indicators NGDPDPC, NGDPD and LP), October 2026. Last checked 24 October 2026.
Africa's other regions
- West Africa16 countries · 467 million people · largest economy Nigeria
- East Africa18 countries · 474.2 million people · largest economy Kenya
- 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 North Africa is "Northern 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 North Africa's largest countries side by side.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries are in North Africa?
6: Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia. This follows the United Nations' M49 grouping, where the region is called Northern Africa. Regional blocs such as the African Union's economic communities draw the line differently.
Which country in North Africa has the largest population?
Egypt, with 107.9 million people in 2025 according to the IMF, 41% of the region.
What is the largest economy in North Africa?
Egypt, with GDP of $365 billion in 2025, 37.5% of the region's total.
Which is the richest country in North Africa?
Measured by GDP per person, Libya: $5,998 in 2025. The poorest by the same measure is Sudan, at $724.
What is the population of North Africa?
263.3 million in 2025, 17.7% of Africa's population. The IMF projects 287.6 million by 2030.