The birth rate in Togo is higher than most other countries in the world, with the average woman giving birth to roughly 4.5 children, which has greatly contributed to the above average rate of growth in the country. This birth rate has made Togo disproportionately young, and the age of the average citizen is 18.5 years old. Measures to increase education about family planning and birth control methods are being made to curb this trend, but the annual rate of growth remains around 2.5% as of 2019.
Although the growth rate in Togo is still too high for a country with so much poverty, the amount that the population is slowing. Current projections that the growth rate will continue to slow, and will likely decline towards 1.68% by the year 2050, but the population will still come close to doubling over this same period. The same predictions believe that the population of Togo will be 8,384,291 in 2020, 10,507,241 in 2040, 12,860,688 in 2040 and 15,298,154 by 2050.
| Togo Population (as of 11/19/2024) | 9,595,207 |
| Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2024) | 9,515,240 |
| Births per Day | 801 |
| Deaths per Day | 199 |
| Migrations per Day | -38 |
| Net Change per Day | 563 |
| Population Change Since Jan. 1 | 182,412 |
Net increase of 1 person every 2.55 minutes
Population estimates based on interpolation of data from World Population Prospects
| One birth every 1.8 minutes | |
| One death every 7.23 minutes | |
| One emigrant every 37.9 minutes | |
| Net gain of one person every 2.55 minutes |
City | 2024 Pop. |
|---|---|
| Lome | 749,700 |
| Sokode | 117,811 |
| Kara | 104,207 |
| Atakpame | 80,683 |
| Kpalime | 75,084 |
| Bassar | 61,845 |
| Tsevie | 55,775 |
| Aneho | 47,579 |
| Sansanne-Mango | 37,748 |
| Dapaong | 33,324 |
Togo is one of the smallest countries in Africa with 21,925 square miles (56,785 square kilometers) of land on the western portion on the continent. The area of Togo is the 127th largest in the world. Togo sits along the Gulf of Guinea and shares its borders with Ghana, Benin, and Burkina Faso. It is fairly densely populated with 356 per square mile (137 people per square kilometer), ranking it 66th in the world in terms of population density.
Less than half of the people in Togo live in urban areas, so it makes sense that there aren't many overly large cities in the country. The capital, most prominent port, and largest city is Lomé, with a population estimated at 845,000. The larger Lome area has 1.5 million residents. Exports from the area include cocoa, coffee, cotton, phosphates, and palm oil. The second-largest city is Sokodé with a population of roughly 113,000. Sokodé is a very Islamic city and exports from this region of the country include cassava, pepper, yams, corn, and beans. The only other city in Togo with a population in excess of 100,000 is Kara with a population of 104,207. Kara is home to most of the country's government and hotels. Although there aren't many large cities in Togo, this is probably for the best as there isn't adequate water or sewage in most areas to hand large population densities.
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9,515,240 | 2.37% | 175 | 97 | 75 |
| 2023 | 9,304,340 | 2.41% | 171 | 97 | 76 |
| 2020 | 8,669,720 | 2.44% | 159 | 100 | 78 |
| 2019 | 8,463,070 | 2.47% | 156 | 101 | 79 |
| 2018 | 8,258,780 | 2.5% | 152 | 101 | 79 |
| 2017 | 8,057,140 | 2.53% | 148 | 101 | 81 |
| 2015 | 7,663,200 | 2.62% | 141 | 101 | 84 |
| 2010 | 6,732,590 | 2.87% | 124 | 104 | 89 |
| 2005 | 5,844,630 | 2.6% | 107 | 106 | 96 |
| 2000 | 5,140,040 | 3.11% | 95 | 109 | 103 |
| 1995 | 4,410,830 | 1.98% | 81 | 115 | 109 |
| 1990 | 3,998,760 | 3.05% | 74 | 116 | 114 |
| 1985 | 3,441,090 | 3.33% | 63 | 119 | 116 |
| 1980 | 2,920,890 | 2.56% | 54 | 124 | 117 |
| 1975 | 2,574,620 | 2.78% | 47 | 123 | 117 |
| 1970 | 2,244,770 | 3.9% | 41 | 124 | 120 |
| 1965 | 1,853,770 | 2.07% | 34 | 128 | 124 |
| 1960 | 1,673,110 | 1.8% | 31 | 125 | 123 |
| 1955 | 1,529,950 | 1.8% | 28 | 127 | 122 |
Year | Population | Change | Density (/km²) | Population Rank | Density Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9,515,240 | 2.37% | 175 | 97 | 75 |
| 2025 | 9,721,610 | 2.32% | 179 | 96 | 75 |
| 2030 | 10,793,000 | 2.11% | 198 | 91 | 72 |
| 2035 | 11,937,700 | 2.04% | 219 | 89 | 70 |
| 2040 | 13,121,400 | 1.91% | 241 | 87 | 63 |
| 2045 | 14,347,500 | 1.8% | 264 | 84 | 62 |
| 2050 | 15,584,800 | 1.67% | 287 | 82 | 55 |
| 2055 | 16,808,400 | 1.52% | 309 | 80 | 52 |
| 2060 | 18,005,400 | 1.39% | 331 | 78 | 49 |
| 2065 | 19,205,700 | 1.3% | 353 | 76 | 47 |
| 2070 | 20,395,100 | 1.21% | 375 | 76 | 42 |
| 2075 | 21,544,000 | 1.1% | 396 | 75 | 39 |
| 2080 | 22,642,400 | 1% | 416 | 73 | 38 |
| 2085 | 23,691,300 | 0.91% | 436 | 69 | 37 |
| 2090 | 24,633,000 | 0.78% | 453 | 69 | 35 |
| 2095 | 25,496,700 | 0.69% | 469 | 68 | 34 |
20
Total
19.7
Male
20.3
Female
There are people over age 18 in Togo.
Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2020 |
| 2010 | 19 November 2010 |
There are around 40 ethnic groups in Togo. The largest is the Ewe in the south, who account for 32% of the population, or 21% of the population on the southern coastline. Other ethnic groups include the Kotokoli (Tem) and the Tchamba in the center of the country and the Kabye in the northern region (22%). The Ouatchis account for 14% of the population. While the Ewe and Ouatchi are often considered the same group, the French, who studied both, consider them separate people. Other smaller ethnic groups include the Mina, Mossi and Aja. The European population makes up less than 1% of Togo's population.
Starting in the 16th century, Togo and the surrounding area was known as "the Slave Coast" as it became a trading center for Europeans looking for slaves.
Togo is a fairly religiously diverse nation, with significant numbers in a variety of different religion- although the proportions of these are debated. A study conducted at the University of Lomé said that 33% of the population practice Animism (an indigenous belief system that believes every person, place, and thing on earth contains its spiritual essence), 28% are Catholic, 14% are Sunni Muslim, 10% are Protestant and 10% belong to another sect of Christianity. Although the Christians outnumber the Animists when you consolidate the denominations, many other religions, including Christianity, incorporate indigenous beliefs into their modern religions.
Togo is the tenth poorest country in the world, and about 50% of Togo's people live below the international poverty line of 1.25 USD per day. The economy in Togo is struggling, and issues like political instability and debt are making things continually worse. Agriculture is the largest industry in Togo and coffee, cocoa and cotton are the most widely produced crops. Togo is also known for mining phosphates, limestone, and marble.
The country of Togo is a presidential republic, which means that the president has executive power over both the state and the government as a whole. In addition to a president, Togo also has a Prime Minister, who is selected by the president. The Rally for the Togolese people is the prominent political party. Legislative power is divided between the government and parliament. The judicial system is based upon the French one, with a Court of Appeal and a Supreme Court.
The country of Togo didn't become an independent nation until 1960, and doesn't have much of an extended history for this reason. The first major event didn't happen until 1985 when there were a series of bombings in the capital city of Lome, which Togo accused Ghana and Burkina Faso of dropping. Gilchrist Olympio was the opposition leader tied to the bombings, and he was put to death for his involvement. Eyadema, the leader of Togo's only party, was elected for a second term shortly afterwards.
Eyadema dissolved the government in 1993, sparking protests, deadly confrontations with cops, and thousands to flee the area. Eyadema was re-elected for a third term in 1998, and a fourth term in 2003, causing the prime minister to resign. Eyadema died in 2005, and his son Faure was names as his successor by the military.Togo finally became a multi-party state and was admitted into the EU in 2007.