African Population Database 1850-1960

Data:

Frankema-Jerven African Population Database 1850-1960, version 1.0

FRANKEMA-JERVEN African Population Database 1850-1960, version 2.0

FRANKEMA-JERVEN African Population Database 1850-1960, version 3.0

FRANKEMA-JERVEN African Population Database 1850-1960, version 4.0 

Cite: Frankema, E. and Jerven, M. (2014). ‘Writing History Backwards and Sideways: Towards a Consensus on African Population, 1850-present‘ Economic History Review 67( S1): 907-931.

Note: The population estimates in this dataset are best guesses based on backward projections 1950-1850 with country specific modifications. They do not represent actual population counts. For a description of the methods used to reach the annual population totals please see Frankema, E. and Jerven, M. (2014). ‘Writing History Backwards and Sideways: Towards a Consensus on African Population, 1850-present’ Economic History Review 67, S1, 907-931. The authors welcome comments and suggestions for improvements of the database.

Compared to v1.0 and 2.0, v3.0 uses the revised 2019 UN World Population Prospects data for the period 1950-2020 and new 1950 benchmarks for backward extrapolation 1950-1850. Version 4.0 uses the 2024 WPP. While these revisions do not alter the total conintental African population estimate for 1850 much (ranging between 221.8 and 226.6 miliion), these revisions can make a signifcant difference for individual African countries.