Summary

The policy debate on urbanisation in Africa has long suffered from a paucity of robust evidence. This report provides a new perspective on the economy of African cities, based on the most comprehensive analysis of data on African cities to date. It uses information from more than 4 million individuals and firms in 2 600 cities across 34 African countries to describe the economic performance and social conditions in cities of different sizes across the continent. Cities are attractive because of the job opportunities they provide. Hourly wages in large cities are more than twice as high as they are in rural areas. While the share of adults without any employment is slightly lower in cities than in rural areas, underemployment is less prevalent, as urban workers work 30% more hours per week than rural workers.