In brief
A World Bank report released Oct. 31, 2026, urges sub‑Saharan African governments to channel the region’s swift urban population rise into long‑term economic growth and job creation. It outlines how 913 million people lived in cities in 2025, a figure projected to reach 1.7 billion by 2050, and stresses the need for formal, better‑paying employment for 15 million youths entering the workforce each year. The bank recommends enhanced urban planning, major infrastructure spending, and stronger regulatory frameworks while encouraging private capital mobilization.
The World Bank issued a report on Oct. 31, 2026 urging sub‑Saharan African governments to convert the region’s rapid urbanization into a powerful engine of economic growth and job creation. The report noted a sharp rise in the urban population from 170 million in 1975 to 913 million in 2025, and projected an increase to 1.7 billion by 2050.
World Bank officials highlighted that around 15 million young people enter the region’s labor market each year, underscoring the necessity of creating more formal, well‑paid jobs that match the growing urban population. The institution emphasized that sustained population growth would demand a proportionate expansion of productive employment for youth.
The “Africa’s Urban Awakening: Catalyzing Economic Growth and Job Creation” report recommends better planning for urban expansion, targeted investment in infrastructure and transport, and stronger regulatory frameworks and land governance. It also calls for greater mobilization of private capital to finance urban facilities and services.
Marie‑Chantal Uwanyiligira, World Bank division director for Côte d’Ivoire, Benin, Guinea and Togo, warned that “productivity gains remain limited, incomes have grown slowly, and too many jobs remain informal and poorly paid.”
productivity gains remain limited, incomes have grown slowly, and too many jobs remain informal and poorly paid.
In Côte d’Ivoire, official data showed 17.84 million urban residents out of an estimated total population of 32.8 million last year. The number of localities with more than 100,000 inhabitants increased from eight in 1998 to 17 in 2021. The West African country has prioritized urban development, mobility and improvements in people’s living conditions in its 2026‑2030 national development plan.