What is the capital of Angola?
Luanda sits on Angola's northern Atlantic coast and is the country's chief seaport, built around a natural bay.
Luanda is the capital and seat of government of Angola, a role it has held since 1975. Angola itself has an estimated population of 39,040,039 (2025).
Luanda is also the largest city in Angola, which is the usual arrangement, though it is far from universal: see the countries where capital and largest city differ.
Luanda at a glance
| City population | 8,816,297 (2024) |
|---|---|
| Metropolitan area | 11,370,000 (2024 estimate) |
| Country | 🇦🇴 Angola |
| Founded | 1576 |
| Capital since | 1975 |
| Largest city in Angola | Luanda |
| Time zone | UTC+01:00 (WAT) |
| Currency | Angolan kwanza (AOA) |
About Luanda
Luanda was founded in 1576 by the Portuguese colonist Paulo Dias de Novais as São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda.
Luanda has been the capital of Angola since 1975, Luanda has been the capital of independent Angola since 1975, having earlier been the centre of Portuguese colonial rule for centuries.
Luanda is Angola's largest city and primary port, and its population has grown rapidly on the back of the country's oil industry.
It has at times ranked among the most expensive cities in the world for expatriate workers.
City facts sourced from Wikipedia: Luanda.
Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Angola?
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What is the population of Luanda?
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When did Luanda become the capital of Angola?
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Capitals of neighbouring countries
See the full profile of Angola on its country page, or browse every capital city.
Capital and country data from open datasets; city and metropolitan populations are hand-curated per city and cited where they are shown. Populations of countries come from the World Bank (SP.POP.TOTL). Full sources and vintage on the data page. Last updated . Report a correction.