Nigeria Population (LIVE)

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Nigeria Population (1950 - 2024)
Yearly Population Growth Rate (%)
  • The current population of Nigeria is 234,848,717 as of Friday, December 13, 2024, based on Worldometer's elaboration of the latest United Nations data1.
  • Nigeria 2024 population is estimated at 232,679,478 people at mid year.
  • Nigeria population is equivalent to 2.85% of the total world population.
  • Nigeria ranks number 6 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population.
  • The population density in Nigeria is 255 per Km2 (662 people per mi2).
  • The total land area is 910,770 Km2 (351,650 sq. miles).
  • 53.9 % of the population is urban (125,447,884 people in 2024).
  • The median age in Nigeria is 17.9 years.
1. U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs - Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Population of Nigeria (2024 and historical)

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationNigeria
Global Rank
2024 232,679,478 2.10 % 4,796,533 -35,202 17.9 4.38 255 53.9 % 125,447,884 2.85 % 8,161,972,572 6
2023 227,882,945 2.12 % 4,732,049 -57,936 17.8 4.48 250 53.0 % 120,696,717 2.82 % 8,091,734,930 6
2022 223,150,896 2.11 % 4,621,610 -51,680 17.6 4.55 245 52.0 % 116,057,853 2.78 % 8,021,407,192 6
2020 213,996,181 2.15 % 4,510,540 -14,497 17.2 4.70 235 50.1 % 107,112,526 2.71 % 7,887,001,292 6
2015 190,671,878 2.73 % 4,805,798 -116,162 16.7 5.50 209 45.5 % 86,673,094 2.55 % 7,470,491,872 7
2010 166,642,886 2.82 % 4,325,127 47,966 16.7 5.95 183 41.4 % 68,949,828 2.37 % 7,021,732,148 7
2005 145,017,253 2.79 % 3,726,952 -17,146 16.8 6.06 159 37.4 % 54,288,918 2.20 % 6,586,970,132 7
2000 126,382,494 2.66 % 3,112,61374,535 16.8 6.12 139 33.7 % 42,627,440 2.05 % 6,171,702,993 10
1995 110,819,428 2.67 % 2,739,701 73,243 16.5 6.27 122 31.4 % 34,785,545 1.92 % 5,758,878,982 10
1990 97,120,925 2.73 % 2,444,590 135,959 16.2 6.46 107 29.1 % 28,276,132 1.82 % 5,327,803,110 10
1985 84,897,973 2.85 % 2,226,666 61,514 16.2 6.62 93 25.2 % 21,434,266 1.74 % 4,868,943,465 10
1980 73,764,641 3.07 % 2,070,765 198,672 16.7 6.85 81 21.9 % 16,139,321 1.66 % 4,447,606,236 11
1975 63,410,815 2.56 % 1,503,395 75,603 17.3 6.77 70 19.8 % 12,535,584 1.56 % 4,070,735,277 11
1970 55,893,838 2.22 % 1,161,415 7,953 17.9 6.47 61 17.8 % 9,942,297 1.51 % 3,694,683,794 11
1965 50,086,764 2.14 % 1,006,596 32,988 18.3 6.37 55 16.6 % 8,296,771 1.50 % 3,334,533,703 13
1960 45,053,782 1.94 % 823,629 12,131 18.3 6.36 49 15.4 % 6,955,737 1.49 % 3,015,470,894 14
1955 40,935,635 1.89 % 730,525 -12,617 18.2 6.40 45 12.1 % 4,952,844 1.49 % 2,740,213,792 13
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).
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Nigeria Population Forecast

YearPopulationYearly %
Change
Yearly
Change
Migrants (net)Median AgeFertility RateDensity (P/Km²)Urban
Pop %
Urban PopulationCountry's Share of
World Pop
World PopulationNigeria
Global Rank
2025 237,527,782 2.11 % 4,706,320 -15,258 18.1 4.30 261 54.9 % 130,312,056 2.89 % 8,231,613,070 6
2030 262,380,970 2.01 % 4,970,638 24,085 19.3 3.82 288 59.6 % 156,299,881 3.06 % 8,569,124,911 6
2035 287,685,763 1.86 % 5,060,959 35,506 20.5 3.41 316 64.3 % 184,887,647 3.24 % 8,885,210,181 6
2040 312,710,416 1.68 % 5,004,931 41,202 21.7 3.10 343 69.1 % 216,083,536 3.41 % 9,177,190,203 5
2045 336,662,502 1.49 % 4,790,417 44,157 22.7 2.85 370 74.3 % 250,285,391 3.57 % 9,439,639,668 5
2050 359,185,556 1.30 % 4,504,611   23.9 2.66 394 79.9 % 287,130,349 3.72 % 9,664,378,587 5
Source: Worldometer (www.Worldometers.info)
Elaboration of data by United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. (Medium-fertility variant).

Nigeria Demographics

Main Page: Demographics of Nigeria
Life Expectancy
54.64 years
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes)
View by sex and historical chart
Infant Mortality
68.5
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart
Deaths under age 5
102.8
(per 1,000 live births)
View historical chart

Main Cities by Population in Nigeria

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

# CITY NAME POPULATION
1 Lagos 15,388,000
2 Kano 4,910,000
3 Ibadan 3,649,000
4 Abuja 2,690,000
5 Port Harcourt 2,120,000
6 Kaduna 1,850,000
7 Benin City 1,782,000
8 Onitsha 1,553,000
9 Aba 1,160,000
10 Maiduguri 1,110,000
11 Ilorin 1,080,000
12 Sokoto 1,040,000
12 Jos 1,040,000
13 Zaria 980,000
14 Enugu 950,000
15 Warri 910,000
16 Oyo 736,072
17 Abeokuta 735,000
18 Akure 730,000
19 Bauchi 693,700
20 Katsina 670,000
21 Osogbo 645,000
22 Gombe 560,000
22 Ile-Ife 560,000
23 Ajegunle 550,000
24 Owerri 545,000
25 Calabar 540,000
26 Ebute Ikorodu 535,619
27 Okene 479,178
28 Ikare 465,000
29 Yola 460,000
30 Uyo 436,606
31 Ado-Ekiti 435,000
32 Ogbomoso 433,030
33 Minna 425,000
34 Lekki 401,272
35 Bida 400,000
36 Makurdi 390,000
37 Ondo 375,000
38 Umuahia 370,000
39 Yenagoa 365,000
39 Gboko 365,000
40 Ijebu Ode 360,000
41 Obalende 342,000
42 Ilesa 325,000
43 Ikeja 313,196
44 Akowonjo 308,900
45 Alimosho 308,290
46 Sapele 305,000
47 Efon-Alaaye 279,319
48 Owo 276,574
49 Ikot Ekpene 254,806
50 Iwo 250,443
51 Jimeta 248,148
52 Atani 230,000
53 Aliayabiagba 228,000
54 Gusau 226,857
55 Mubi 225,705
56 Ikire 222,160
57 Shagamu 214,558
58 Ugep 200,276
59 Chakwama 200,000
60 Mushin 199,000
61 Nnewi 193,987
62 Surulere 191,920
63 Ise-Ekiti 190,063
64 Ila Orangun 179,192
65 Saki 178,677
66 Oshodi 170,870
67 Awka 167,738

See also

Notes

The Nigeria Population (Live) counter shows a continuously updated estimate of the current population of Nigeria delivered by Worldometer's RTS algorithm, which processes data collected from the United Nations Population Division.

The Population of Nigeria (1950 - 2023) chart plots the total population count as of July 1 of each year, from 1950 to 2023.

The Yearly Population Growth Rate chart plots the annual percentage changes in population registered on July 1 of each year, from 1951 to 2023. This value can differ from the Yearly % Change shown in the historical table, which shows the last year equivalent percentage change assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period.

Definitions

Year: as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Population: Overall total population (both sexes and all ages) in the country as of July 1 of the year indicated, as estimated by the United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision. For forecasted years, the U.N. medium-fertility variant is used.


Yearly % Change: For 2023: percentage change in total population over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: latest year annual percentage change equivalent assuming homogeneous change in the preceding five year period, calculated through reverse compounding.

Yearly Change: For 2023: absolute change in total population (increase or decrease in number of people) over the last year (from July 1, 2022 to June 30 2023). For all other years: average annual numerical change over the preceding five year period.

Migrants (net): The average annual number of immigrants minus the number of emigrants over the preceding five year period (running from July 1 to June 30 of the initial and final years), or subsequent five year period (for 2016 data). A negative number means that there are more emigrants than immigrants.

Median Age: age that divides the population into two numerically equal groups: half of the people are older than the median age indicated and half are younger. This parameter provides an indication of age distribution.

Fertility Rate: (Total Fertility Rate, or TFR), it is expressed as children per woman. It is calculated as the average number of children an average woman will have during her reproductive period (15 to 49 years old) based on the current fertility rates of every age group in the country, and assuming she is not subject to mortality.

Density (P/Km²): (Population Density) Population per square Kilometer (Km²).

Urban Pop % : Urban population as a percentage of total population.

Urban Population: Population living in areas classified as urban according to the criteria used by each country.

Country's Share of World Pop: Total population in the country as a percentage of total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

World Population: Total World Population as of July 1 of the year indicated.

Global Rank: Position held by Nigeria in the list of all countries worldwide ranked by population (from the highest population to the lowest population) as of July 1 of the year indicated.