Mozambican President Daniel Chapo has hailed the country’s demographic dynamism as a crucial opportunity to drive economic growth and improve citizens’ wellbeing, in a statement marking World Population Day, celebrated globally today.
“In a country with around 34 million inhabitants, growing at a rate of 2.5% per year, World Population Day reminds us that our greatest wealth lies in our human potential — particularly among the youth, as 66% of our population is under the age of 25. It is their dreams and energy that propel our journey towards a diversified, competitive, and hopeful economy,” Chapo said.
Mozambique joins the international community in observing the day under the theme: “Balancing Population Growth with Inclusive and Sustainable Economic Development.”
According to Chapo, this theme is particularly relevant for Mozambique, a nation that is resolutely laying the foundations for economic independence through the structural transformation of its economy.
“This demographic strength is a unique opportunity to accelerate growth, as long as it is accompanied by policies that promote education, productive employment, and the strengthening of our business fabric,” the President stated.
To harness this potential, the Mozambican government is currently reviewing its National Population Policy, aligning it with the National Development Strategy 2025–2044, the Government’s Five-Year Programme, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063 — in a bid to turn population growth into a true engine of progress.
“It is within this framework that we want every Mozambican — in every district and every community — to feel part of this movement to build a Mozambique where wealth stays in the country and benefits the Mozambican people,” Chapo emphasised.
Mozambique has recorded the fourth highest adolescent birth rate in the world, according to the United Nations’ 2025 State of World Population report, presented in Maputo on Tuesday by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The report reveals that between 2001 and 2024, Mozambique registered 158 births per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19. The country ranks behind only the Central African Republic (184), Equatorial Guinea (176), and Angola (163) in terms of adolescent fertility.
Mozambique’s overall fertility rate currently stands at 4.6 children per woman, placing it among the highest globally. For comparison, Angola stands at 5.0, Niger and the Central African Republic at 5.8, while Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo each report a rate of 5.9.
The study further highlights that only one in three women in Mozambique — including adolescents — has the autonomy to decide how many children to have. This is attributed to limited access to sexual and reproductive health services, alongside economic hardship.
