Population of Algeria 2020, by city

In 2020, Algiers was the city with the largest population in Algeria, with nearly 1.98 million inhabitants. The cities of Boumerdès and Oran followed with around 786 thousand and 646 thousand people, respectively.

Most of the population is concentrated in the cities

With an area of over 2.48 million square kilometers, Algeria is the largest country in Africa. Since the territory is predominantly desert, most of the population lives in the coastal areas by the Mediterranean Sea. This explains why the population density remains relatively low at around 17.7 inhabitants per square kilometer, although it is constantly increasing. In addition, due to internal migration from rural areas, as well as population growth, Algerian cities are becoming more populous and the urbanization rate in the country is increasing annually. In 2019, around 73 percent of the population lived in urban areas.

Algeria’s population continues to grow

Algeria ranks among the most populous countries in Africa, counting over 45 million inhabitants as of 2021. The total population has been increasing constantly and registered a growth rate of 1.93 percent in 2019. In the coming years, the population is forecast to reach around 49 million by 2026. The relatively high fertility rate, together with the rising life expectancy and declining mortality, would drive population growth in the country.