Africa’s Demographic Structure and Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals 1 – 3

Abstract:

The progress of African countries towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is uneven, with the Northern African countries and small island states taking the lead. Little is known about the influence of population size, growth, urbanization, age structure/dependency ratio on SDGs 1 – 3, which border on eradication of poverty, hunger and access to healthcare for all. We analysed the relationship between these population-related variables and SDGs 1-3 at the country level, using data extracted from two sources: The United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs’ 2017 World Population Prospects, and the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa & Sustainable Development Solutions Network 2018 publication – Africa SDG Index and Dashboards Report. Using correlation and multiple regression analyses, we found population growth rate, urbanization and fertility to significantly predict indicators of SDGs 1-3 among African countries. High fertility is associated with a low proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel and high maternal and child mortality. Urbanization is associated with a reduced proportion of the population living in poverty and hunger. The results show that population growth rate is negatively associated with maternal and child mortality. We discussed the implications of the findings for achieving SDGs 1-3 and recommended a multi-level approach to helping African countries achieve these goals.