By: Ewout Frankema & Morten Jerven

Aiming to create a continent-wide dataset on African population extending into the pre-1950 era, this article investigates the reliability of current databases. It explores the need for an upward adjustment of the 1950 benchmark, proposing an alternative approach to estimating population growth rates. The study emphasizes the importance of reliable historical population estimates for understanding African social and economic development, advocating for a consensus on long-term African population trends