How Africa’s Cities Have Grown Since 1975 ➡️

Key takeaways

• Africa’s urban footprint has expanded significantly since 1975 in several key areas
• Megacities like Lagos, Nigeria and Cairo, Egypt are emerging as dominant hubs
• Vast regions such as the Sahara and Sahel remain sparsely developed, emphasizing how geography & climate shape urban growth

How we made this

The Global Human Settlement Layer (GHSL) from the European Commission provides satellite-derived data on built-up surfaces worldwide. It maps the extent of human-made structures within 1 km² grid cells, which we used to visualize urban growth and land use change over time.