Largest country in Africa in 2024: ranked by population and land mass

Largest country in Africa in 2024: ranked by population and land mass

Africa is the second largest continent in the world after Asia. The continent covers around 30.3 million km², including adjacent islands. This is about 20% or one-fifth of Earth's land area. Africa has 54 countries and other dependencies/territories, and its population size of 1.4 billion people accounts for about 18% of the world's population. This article ranks all 54 countries and other dependencies by landmass and population to help you discover the largest country in Africa.

Africa has 54 fully recognized sovereign states of various government types, and most governments use the parliamentary systems. There are also eight cities and islands that are part of non-African states and two de facto independent states with limited or no recognition.

Which is the largest country in Africa by land mass?

Largest country in Africa
A map showing Algeria and neighboring countries. Photo: omersukrugoksu
Source: Getty Images
  • Capital city: Algiers (El Djazaïr)
  • Government: Semi-presidential system
  • Currency: Algerian Dinar
  • Official languages: Arabic, Tamazight
  • Area: 2.382 million km²

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Algeria is the largest country in Africa by area, with 2,381,740 km² total land area size. Its land area also makes it the tenth-largest country in the world. This North African country has a Mediterranean coastline and a Saharan desert interior. By population, it is the 10th largest country in Africa, with a population size of around 45,606,480 people.

List of countries in Africa ranked by land mass

South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya are some of the most famous African countries. Nonetheless, this does not imply these countries occupy the biggest land surface. Some African countries have more land area size than these three. Below are the 54 African countries ranked by land mass from largest to smallest:

CountryTotal area (km²)
Algeria2,381,740
DR Congo2,344,858
Sudan1,861,484
Libya1,759,540
Chad1,284,000
Niger1,267,000
Angola1,246,700
Mali1,240,192
South Africa1,219,090
Ethiopia1,104,300
Mauritania1,030,700
Egypt1,001,450
Tanzania947,300
Nigeria923,768
Namibia824,292
Mozambique799,380
Zambia752,618
South Sudan644,329
Somalia637,657
Central African Republic622,984
Madagascar587,041
Botswana581,730
Kenya580,367
Cameroon475,440
Morocco446,550
Zimbabwe390,757
Republic of the Congo342,000
Ivory Coast322,463
Burkina Faso274,200

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CountryTotal area (km²)
Gabon267,667
Western Sahara (disputed dependency)266,000
Guinea245,857
Uganda241,038
Ghana238,533
Senegal196,722
Tunisia163,610
Malawi118,484
Eritrea117,600
Benin112,622
Liberia111,369
Sierra Leone71,740
Togo56,785
Guinea-Bissau36,125
Lesotho30,355
Equatorial Guinea28,051
Burundi27,830
Rwanda26,338
Djibouti23,200
Eswatini17,364
Gambia11,300
Cape Verde4,033
Réunion (France dependency)2,512
Mauritius2,235
Comoros2,040
São Tomé and Príncipe964
Seychelles455
Saint Helena (The UK dependency)394
Mayotte (France dependency)374

Which is the largest country in Africa by population?

Largest country in Africa
A map showing Nigeria and neighboring countries. Photo: PeterHermesFurian
Source: Getty Images
  • Capital city: Abuja
  • Government: Federal republic system
  • Currency: Nigerian Naira
  • Official language: English
  • Area: 923,768 km²

Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population, with around 223,804,632 people. It is in the Western part of the continent and has a coastline facing the Atlantic Ocean. By landmass, it is the 6th largest country in Africa, with a 1,267,000 km² land area.

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List of countries in Africa ranked by population

According to the United Nations Statistics, all 54 African countries ranked by population size from largest to smallest. The list also contains other dependencies (or dependent territories/areas) or Areas of Special Sovereignty (autonomous territories).

CountryPopulation size
Nigeria223,804,632
Ethiopia126,527,060
Egypt112,716,598
DR Congo102,262,808
Tanzania67,438,106
South Africa60,414,495
Kenya55,100,586
Sudan48,109,006
Uganda48,582,334
Algeria45,606,480
Morocco37,840,044
Angola36,684,202
Ghana34,121,985
Mozambique33,897,354
Madagascar30,325,732
Côte d'Ivoire28,873,034
Cameroon28,647,293
Niger27,202,843
Burkina Faso23,251,485
Mali23,293,698
Malawi20,931,751
Zambia20,569,737
Chad18,278,568
Senegal17,763,163
Somalia18,143,378
Zimbabwe16,665,409
Guinea14,190,612
Rwanda14,094,683
Benin13,712,828

CountryPopulation size
Burundi13,238,559
Tunisia12,458,223
South Sudan 11,088,796
Togo9,053,799
Sierra Leone8,791,092
Libya6,888,388
Congo6,106,869
Central African Republic5,742,315
Liberia5,418,377
Mauritania4,862,989
Eritrea3,748,901
Gambia2,773,168
Botswana2,675,352
Namibia2,604,172
Gabon2,436,566
Lesotho2,330,318
Guinea-Bissau2,150,842
Equatorial Guinea1,714,671
Mauritius1,300,557
Eswatini1,210,822
Djibouti1,136,455
Réunion (France dependency)981,796
Comoros852,075
Cape Verde598,682
Western Sahara (disputed dependency)587,259
Mayotte (France dependency)335,995
Sao Tome & Principe231,856
Seychelles107,660
Saint Helena (The UK dependency)5,314

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Which country is the largest in Africa?

Algeria is the largest country in Africa by land mass. Its total land area is 2,381,740 km². Meanwhile, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population. It has a population size of around 223,804,632 people.

Which country is the most populated in Africa?

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. This West African country has a population size of around 223,804,632 people.

What is the smallest country in Africa that is not an island?

The Gambia in West Africa is the smallest country in Africa, with an 11,300 km² total land area size, including a narrow Atlantic coastline.

Which country in Africa is the smallest?

Seychelles is the smallest country in Africa overall. By land mass, it only occupies a total land area of 455 km². The Seychelles is a favorite tour destination for many because it is an archipelago of 115 islands in the Indian Ocean, off East Africa.

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Algeria is the largest country in Africa by landmass. It is also one of the main tourist attractions is the Sahara. Meanwhile, Nigeria is the largest country in Africa by population. It has the second-largest film industry worldwide, and many also know it as a fashion, technological, and creative hub in Africa.

Largest country in Africa
Photo: canva.com (modified by author)
Source: Original

Legit.ng also listed the highest currencies in Africa. A strong currency is good for people traveling abroad or buying imported products from countries whose money has a lower value. They pay for the goods and services at cheaper rates and save money.

So, if you are among these people, knowing the strongest currencies in Africa right now will help you budget your expenses and finances appropriately and efficiently.

Source: Legit.ng

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