Ranked: Countries With the Most Children in 2025

Pallavi Rao
2025-06-28 11:21:00
www.visualcapitalist.com

See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.

Ranked: Countries With the Most Children in 2025

This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.

Key Takeaways

The Central African Republic has the most children in 2025, as a share of the population (56.2%).
Nigeria’s under-18 population surpasses 112 million—about equal to the entire population of the Philippines, the world’s 13th-most populous country.

The world is getting older on average, but not at the same pace everywhere.

In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, children still make up the majority of the population, shaping everything from classroom sizes to consumer markets.

The visualization above ranks every country by the share of people under 18 in 2025, spotlighting nations where youthful energy is both an opportunity and a challenge.

Data for this graphic is sourced from the UN World Population Prospects estimates for 2025.

Ranked: Countries With the Most Share of Children in 2025

In the Central African Republic, 56.2% of the population is under 18, the highest share of children worldwide.

Rank	Country	Residents Below 18, Share of Population	Number of Residents, Below 18	Total Population 2025
1	Central African Republic	56.2%	3.1M	5.5M
2	Niger	53.3%	14.9M	27.9M
3	Somalia	53.0%	10.4M	19.7M
4	Mali	52.9%	13.3M	25.2M
5	Chad	52.7%	11.1M	21.0M
6	DRC	52.5%	59.2M	112.8M
7	Burundi	51.4%	7.4M	14.4M
8	Mozambique	51.1%	18.2M	35.6M
9	Angola	50.8%	19.8M	39.0M
10	Uganda	50.2%	25.8M	51.4M
11	Niue	50.0%	1.0K	2K
12	Mayotte	49.9%	168.0K	337K
13	Afghanistan	49.4%	21.7M	43.8M
14	Mauritania	49.2%	2.6M	5.3M
15	Tanzania	49.0%	34.5M	70.5M
16	Burkina Faso	48.3%	11.6M	24.1M
17	Zambia	47.9%	10.5M	21.9M
18	Benin	47.8%	7.1M	14.8M
19	Cameroon	47.8%	14.3M	29.9M
20	Zimbabwe	47.5%	8.1M	17.0M
21	Nigeria	47.5%	112.8M	237.5M
22	Malawi	47.4%	10.5M	22.2M
23	Yemen	47.3%	19.8M	41.8M
24	Guinea	47.3%	7.1M	15.1M
25	Côte d’Ivoire	47.2%	15.4M	32.7M
26	Sudan	46.8%	24.2M	51.7M
27	Congo	46.8%	3.0M	6.5M
28	Gambia	46.6%	1.3M	2.8M
29	Liberia	46.1%	2.6M	5.7M
30	South Sudan	45.9%	5.6M	12.2M
31	Togo	45.8%	4.5M	9.7M
32	Madagascar	45.5%	14.9M	32.7M
33	Ethiopia	45.4%	61.5M	135.5M
34	Guinea-Bissau	45.0%	1.0M	2.3M
35	Eritrea	44.8%	1.6M	3.6M
36	Samoa	44.7%	98.0K	219K

Note: Figures rounded and are estimates made for 2025. Some territories have very small populations, which may distort rankings. Regions are classified under the United Nations Statistics Division’s geoscheme.

In fact, roughly half the population in countries is under-18 in 11 countries, including Niger, Mali, and Chad.

By contrast, the global median for share of children is just 28%.

Noticeably, all of the top 10 countries are in Africa, and seven of them sit in the Sahel or Central Africa belt.

Fertility rates in this region routinely exceed five births per woman, and declines in child mortality have not yet translated into smaller family sizes.

This demographic momentum will keep populations growing even if birth rates fall, creating what economists call a “youth bulge”—a potential dividend if jobs and education keep pace, but a risk factor for instability if they do not.

Nigeria illustrates this phenomenon well.

Nigeria: A Superpower in the Making?

While its share of children (47.5%) ranks 21st, Nigeria stands out in sheer scale: 112.8 million Nigerians are under 18 in 2025.

This is roughly equal to the total population of the Philippines, the 13th most populous country in the world.

Nigeria’s booming youth market is already attracting investment in fintech, ed-tech, and entertainment.

Yet the same numbers strain power grids, classrooms, and job markets—underscoring the importance of sustained reforms in education and infrastructure.

Disenfranchised youth can lead to social unrest, and they are prime targets for terrorist groups as well.

Thus, understanding where the world’s children live is critical, for practical reasons like planning schools, digital infrastructure, and health services, which translates into broader social cohesion and development.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Countries With the Most Seniors on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.

Source Link

Keep your files stored safely and securely with the SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD. With over 69,505 ratings and an impressive 4.6 out of 5 stars, this product has been purchased over 8K+ times in the past month. At only $129.99, this Amazon’s Choice product is a must-have for secure file storage.

Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256-bit AES hardware encryption. Order now for just $129.99 on Amazon!

Start your free Amazon Prime trial
today and unlock unlimited streaming and more!

Help Power Techcratic’s Future – Scan To Support

If Techcratic’s content and insights have helped you, consider giving back by supporting the platform with crypto. Every contribution makes a difference, whether it’s for high-quality content, server maintenance, or future updates. Techcratic is constantly evolving, and your support helps drive that progress.

As a solo operator who wears all the hats, creating content, managing the tech, and running the site, your support allows me to stay focused on delivering valuable resources. Your support keeps everything running smoothly and enables me to continue creating the content you love. I’m deeply grateful for your support, it truly means the world to me! Thank you!

BITCOIN

Bitcoin Logo