Getting to Africa’s demographic dividend

Population trends will fundamentally shape the continent’s future development prospects.

On their current demographic trajectory, low- and lower-middle-income African states are several decades away from achieving a demographic dividend. This report explores the timing and conditions for African states’ achieving a more rapid demographic transition and looks at the impact on incomes, levels of poverty and other indicators of well-being.

About the author

Dr Jakkie Cilliers is the founder of the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), chairman of the ISS Board of Trustees and head of African Futures and Innovation at ISS Pretoria. He is an Extraordinary Professor at the Centre for Human Rights and the Department of Political Sciences, Faculty of Humanities at the University of Pretoria, and a well-known author and analyst.

Picture: Helena Van Eykeren/Flickr

Cover design: Amelia Broodryk/ISS