Sudan

Sudan’s 51.6 million population ranks it eighth — a surprise given ongoing conflict, demonstrating that war slows but does not halt demographic expansion. One concrete metric: 60% of the population is under 30, creating a youthful bulge that could either drive recovery or strain resources. Compared to South Africa’s sluggish growth, Sudan’s resilience shows that conflict alone does not curb numbers — but GDP per capita at $752 remains 75% lower than the sub-Saharan average.