–– Evan Cantrell

The audio version of this article is available here: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.

Africa’s population has boomed over the last few decades, and is on track to be the world’s most populous continent by the 2070s. 

The Pew Research Centre recently published an article highlighting five facts about Africa’s population growth:

1. Since 1950, Africa’s population has grown more than sixfold – an increase of approximately 1.3 billion people. Africa’s current population is 1.5 billion people, and is projected to reach between 2.7 billion and 5.2 billion by the end of the century. 
2. Africa also has a growing share of the world’s young people. Currently, 28% of all people under 25 live in Africa. By the end of the century, it is projected to reach 46%. 
3. By the end of the century, Africa is expected to have 12 of the world’s 25 most populated countries, compared to only 6 at present. Nigeria is expected to remain the highest at 4^th place, with South Africa falling from 24^th to 25^th worldwide. 
4. The fourth fact is frightening. Africa is the only world region where overall fertility remains above replacement levels. The overall fertility rate is approximately 3.9 births per woman, above the global replacement level of approximately 2.1 births per woman. That rate is down sharply from a peak of 6.7 births per woman in 1972, and is projected to decline to 2.8 by 2050, meaning that while Africa’s population will continue to grow, it will do so more slowly than it has thus far. 
5. The current median age in Africa is 19, but it is projected to rise to 35 by the end of the century, as fertility rates fall and life expectancies increase. 

What does the Bible say about childbirth and fertility? Here are three biblical reasons to be grateful for God’s good gift of children: 

1. Children are a blessing from the LORD

Psalms 127 and 128 are a pair of beautiful poems about God’s blessing on the nation and the man who fears the Lord. At the heart of both psalms is God’s gift of children. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are an inheritance from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward”. Psalm 128 tells us that when a man is blessed, “your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in your house, your children like olive shoots around your table”. New life itself is a joy and a blessing from God alone, and should be celebrated as such. 

2. Children are arrows in the hand of the believer

Continuing on in Psalm 127 verses 4-5, we see that “Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.” Children are given to us for a brief time, to shape and to send out. The first blessing and command in Scripture is to “be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it”. Proverbs 22:6 says “train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”. Nothing we do has a greater potential for long-term gospel impact than bearing and shaping godly children. 

3. Children are the future of our family and our nation

The biblical norm for healthy families and societies is to marry young and have many children, leading to the further blessing of multi-generational community. Psalm 128:6 says “may you see your children’s children”. Proverbs 17:6 says “grandchildren are the crown of old men, and the glory of sons is their fathers”. 

Individual barrenness is not necessarily a sign of judgement, and is frequently seen in scripture as a trial and a test of faith – see for example Sarah, Rachel, Hannah, and Elizabeth. However, barrenness on a national scale is a clear sign of God’s judgement (see for example Job 15:34). A nation without children cannot long endure. 

Young men and women provide the strength and vitality that prospers and builds a nation, and old men and women provide the wisdom that directs it (Proverbs 20:29). Without the aged, a nation lacks wisdom and stability. That is clear from the current state of the African continent, where only 4% of the population is aged 65+, and societies are generally passionate and reckless. However, without the youth, there is no provision for the aged and little hope for the future. That can be clearly seen in nations like Spain (1.1 babies per woman) and South Korea (0.8 babies per woman), where populations are expected to crater in the near future, and governments are desperately trying to incentivise childbirth. 

In conclusion, we see from scripture that children are a beautiful blessing from the Lord. They are arrows to be sent out into the world. And they are the future of our families and our nations. For that reason, we are grateful to live on a continent that is fruitful and multiplying. Praise God for the fertility of Africa!