Economics
Africa's Working-Age Population to Top Asia's by 2100
Asia confronts an aging population as Africa shifts to youthful workforce
Traders at the Mile One open market in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Photographer: George Osodi/Bloomberg
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Africa’s potential workforce will likely be larger than that of Asia by the end of the 21st century as both continents wrestle with different demographic and economic challenges.
The number of 15-to-64-year-old Africans today is a quarter of the size of Asia’s working-age population. By 2100, however, Africa will surpass Asia, a Bloomberg analysis of United Nations World Population Division data shows. Asia will be confronted by an aging population, while the shift in Africa will be toward more youth in need of employment.