Regions of Africa

West Africa: countries, map and key data

All 16 countries of West Africa, their capitals and how they compare, from official IMF, World Bank and UN figures.

Countries: 16
Population, 2025: 467 million (31.4% of Africa)
Projected population, 2030: 502.8 million
GDP, 2025: $735 billion (23.1% of Africa)
GDP per person, 2025: $1,574
Area: 6,147,137 sq km
Most people: Nigeria
Largest economy: Nigeria
Life expectancy, population-weighted: 58.7 years
Deaths under age five per 1,000 births, population-weighted: 92

The 16 countries of West Africa

BeninCapital: Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government)14.8 million people · $1,661 per personEconomy Government
Burkina FasoCapital: Ouagadougou24.1 million people · $1,150 per personEconomy Resources Government
Cabo VerdeCapital: Praia0.51 million people · $5,961 per personEconomy Government
Côte d'IvoireCapital: Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative and economic capital); note - the US Embassy is in Abidjan32.9 million people · $3,037 per personEconomy Resources Government
GambiaCapital: Banjul2.86 million people · $974 per personEconomy Resources Government
GhanaCapital: Accra35.1 million people · $3,271 per personEconomy Resources Government
GuineaCapital: Conakry15.8 million people · $2,675 per personEconomy Resources Government
Guinea-BissauCapital: Bissau2.02 million people · $1,315 per personEconomy Government
LiberiaCapital: Monrovia5.73 million people · $910 per personEconomy Resources Government
MaliCapital: Bamako25.2 million people · $1,238 per personEconomy Resources Government
MauritaniaCapital: Nouakchott4.63 million people · $2,723 per personEconomy Resources Government
NigerCapital: Niamey29.1 million people · $730 per personEconomy Resources Government
NigeriaCapital: Abuja237.6 million people · $1,223 per personEconomy Resources Government
SenegalCapital: Dakar19.2 million people · $1,934 per personEconomy Resources Government
Sierra LeoneCapital: Freetown8.82 million people · $874 per personEconomy Resources Government
TogoCapital: Lome8.69 million people · $1,371 per personEconomy Resources Government

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

West Africa (16)
Other regions

West Africa at a glance, 2025

Countries
16
Population, millions
467.0
31.4% of Africa
GDP, US$ billion
735
23.1% of Africa
GDP per person, US$
1,574

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 West Africa

Nigeria has the most people in West AfricaPopulation, millions, 2025.

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Item	Value
Nigeria	237.6
Ghana	35.1
Côte d'Ivoire	32.9
Niger	29.1
Mali	25.2
Burkina Faso	24.1
Senegal	19.2
Guinea	15.8
Benin	14.8
Sierra Leone	8.8
Togo	8.7
Liberia	5.7
Mauritania	4.6
Gambia	2.9
Guinea-Bissau	2.0
Cabo Verde	0.5

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

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

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Item	2015	2030	Change
Nigeria	190.7	263.7	+73.0
Ghana	28.7	38.2	+9.5
Côte d'Ivoire	24.8	37.9	+13.1
Niger	20.0	34.8	+14.8
Mali	18.6	29.3	+10.7
Burkina Faso	18.8	27.0	+8.2
Guinea	12.3	17.9	+5.6
Benin	11.4	17.1	+5.7
Sierra Leone	7.0	9.8	+2.8
Togo	7.1	9.7	+2.6
Liberia	4.5	6.4	+1.9
Mauritania	3.7	5.2	+1.5
Gambia	2.2	3.2	+1.0
Guinea-Bissau	1.6	2.2	+0.6
Cabo Verde	0.5	0.5	+0.0

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 West Africa

Nigeria is West Africa's largest economyGDP, billions of US dollars, 2025.

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Item	Value
Nigeria	290.5
Ghana	114.7
Côte d'Ivoire	99.9
Guinea	42.3
Senegal	37.1
Mali	31.2
Burkina Faso	27.7
Benin	24.6
Niger	21.3
Mauritania	12.6
Togo	11.9
Sierra Leone	7.7
Liberia	5.2
Cabo Verde	3.1
Gambia	2.8
Guinea-Bissau	2.7

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

Cabo Verde has the highest GDP per person in West AfricaGDP per person, US dollars, 2025.

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Item	Value
Cabo Verde	5,961
Ghana	3,271
Côte d'Ivoire	3,037
Mauritania	2,723
Guinea	2,675
Senegal	1,934
Benin	1,661
Togo	1,371
Guinea-Bissau	1,315
Mali	1,238
Nigeria	1,223
Burkina Faso	1,150
Gambia	974
Liberia	910
Sierra Leone	874
Niger	730

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

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Period	Nigeria	Ghana	Côte d'Ivoire	Guinea	Senegal	Mali
2015	3,651	1,723	1,846	1,084	1,219	839
2016	2,918	1,912	1,896	1,060	1,270	874
2017	2,642	2,012	2,000	1,274	1,361	925
2018	2,898	2,195	2,167	1,348	1,459	999
2019	3,190	2,187	2,174	1,505	1,436	974
2020	2,798	2,195	2,209	1,680	1,467	957
2021	2,789	2,445	2,478	1,756	1,601	1,030
2022	2,893	2,230	2,351	2,048	1,575	981
2023	2,139	2,384	2,598	2,349	1,690	1,045
2024	1,084	2,419	2,724	2,487	1,724	1,096
2025	1,223	3,271	3,037	2,675	1,934	1,238
2026	1,594	3,604	3,264	2,797	Not published	1,343
2027	1,889	3,623	3,432	3,011	Not published	1,409
2028	1,918	3,693	3,614	3,304	Not published	1,466
2029	1,979	3,840	3,828	3,584	Not published	1,525
2030	2,057	4,028	4,054	3,858	Not published	1,587

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 West Africa

Cabo Verde has the longest life expectancy in West AfricaLife expectancy at birth, years, latest year (2024 for most).

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Item	Value
Cabo Verde	76.2
Senegal	68.9
Mauritania	68.7
Gambia	66.1
Ghana	65.7
Guinea-Bissau	64.3
Togo	62.9
Liberia	62.3
Côte d'Ivoire	62.1
Sierra Leone	62.0
Niger	61.4
Burkina Faso	61.3
Benin	61.0
Guinea	60.9
Mali	60.7
Nigeria	54.6

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

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

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Item	Value
Nigeria	116
Niger	111
Guinea	92
Sierra Leone	91
Liberia	86
Burkina Faso	75
Benin	75
Mali	73
Guinea-Bissau	67
Côte d'Ivoire	65
Togo	56
Gambia	42
Mauritania	37
Senegal	37
Ghana	36
Cabo Verde	11

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

Natural resources in West Africa

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

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Item	Detail	Value
Liberia	forests and timber	21.9
Burkina Faso	minerals	20.1
Mali	minerals	18.4
Cabo Verde	coal	17.7
Ghana	minerals	13.3
Mauritania	minerals	11.4
Guinea-Bissau	forests and timber	10.4
Sierra Leone	forests and timber	9.0
Nigeria	oil	8.6
Togo	minerals	7.9
Niger	forests and timber	6.4
Côte d'Ivoire	minerals	4.7
Guinea	forests and timber	4.5
Senegal	minerals	4.4
Gambia	forests and timber	2.9
Benin	forests and timber	2.3

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

West Africa compared

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


West Africa	16	467.0	735	1,574	58.7
East Africa	18	474.2	630	1,328	65.8
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 West Africa, comparedClick a heading to sort, or a country to open its page.

Showing 16 of 16

Rank
9	Benin	Porto-Novo (constitutional capital); Cotonou (seat of government)	14.8	24.6	1,661	61.0	75	2.3	2
6	Burkina Faso	Ouagadougou	24.1	27.7	1,150	61.3	75	20.1	4
16	Cabo Verde	Praia	0.5	3.1	5,961	76.2	11	17.7	1
3	Côte d'Ivoire	Yamoussoukro (legislative capital), Abidjan (administrative and economic capital); note - the US Embassy is in Abidjan	32.9	99.9	3,037	62.1	65	4.7	2
14	Gambia	Banjul	2.9	2.8	974	66.1	42	2.9	2
2	Ghana	Accra	35.1	114.7	3,271	65.7	36	13.3	2
8	Guinea	Conakry	15.8	42.3	2,675	60.9	92	4.5	2
15	Guinea-Bissau	Bissau	2.0	2.7	1,315	64.3	67	10.4	3
12	Liberia	Monrovia	5.7	5.2	910	62.3	86	21.9	2
5	Mali	Bamako	25.2	31.2	1,238	60.7	73	18.4	4
13	Mauritania	Nouakchott	4.6	12.6	2,723	68.7	37	11.4	3
4	Niger	Niamey	29.1	21.3	730	61.4	111	6.4	4
1	Nigeria	Abuja	237.6	290.5	1,223	54.6	116	8.6	3
7	Senegal	Dakar	19.2	37.1	1,934	68.9	37	4.4	1
10	Sierra Leone	Freetown	8.8	7.7	874	62.0	91	9.0	2
11	Togo	Lome	8.7	11.9	1,371	62.9	56	7.9	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 West Africa

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

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): 12 members

Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left ECOWAS in January 2025 and formed the Alliance of Sahel States.

Source: ECOWAS member list, checked 24 October 2026.

Africa's other regions

East Africa18 countries · 474.2 million people · largest economy Kenya
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 West Africa is "Western 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 West Africa's largest countries side by side.

Frequently asked questions

How many countries are in West Africa?

16: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. This follows the United Nations' M49 grouping, where the region is called Western Africa. Regional blocs such as ECOWAS draw the line differently.

Which country in West Africa has the largest population?

Nigeria, with 237.6 million people in 2025 according to the IMF, 50.9% of the region.

What is the largest economy in West Africa?

Nigeria, with GDP of $290 billion in 2025, 39.5% of the region's total.

Which is the richest country in West Africa?

Measured by GDP per person, Cabo Verde: $5,961 in 2025. The poorest by the same measure is Niger, at $730.

What is the population of West Africa?

467 million in 2025, 31.4% of Africa's population. The IMF projects 502.8 million by 2030.

Which countries are in ECOWAS?

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has 12 members: Benin, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger left ECOWAS in January 2025 and formed the Alliance of Sahel States.