Africa's economic transformation and implications for educational and manpower development : prepared by the ECA Secretariat

Abstract

The population of the African Region is rising at an estimated rate of about 2.5 per cent per annum and demographers estimate that it is likely to rise in absolute figures from some 311 million at present to well over 600 million "by the end of the century. The most striking aspect of the demographic trend is the very high dependency ratio: 45 per cent of the population is estimated to be under fifteen years of age compared with 25 per cent elsewhere.