Country or area · Western Africa · Africa · UN WPP 2024

Nigeria population

Nigeria population now

243,640,245

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 240.2–249.2 million.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 227,882,945

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 242.432 million; 95% range, 31 Dec: 240.2–249.2 million
Median age: 19.4
Aged 65+: 3.1%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 50,000 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

NGA · 1950–2100 · in brief

Nigeria in numbers

227,882,945 people lived in Nigeria in mid-2023: 2.8% of the world's people, and the 6th-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports. That is 6.1 times its 1950 population of 37.3 million.

In the UN's medium projection it is still growing in 2100, when it reaches 477 million. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 256 million to 1.13 billion.

Births outnumber deaths in every year from 1950 to 2100, estimates and projection alike.

The median age was 19.1 in 1950 and 18.8 in 2023; the projection has 35.3 in 2100. 3.0% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 12.3% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) is projected to peak in 2096 at 322 million.

By size it is the 6th country in 2023; the projection puts it 5th in 2050 and 4th in 2100. In the medium projection it overtakes Indonesia in 2040 and the United States in 2057.

Population, mid-2023: 227,882,945
Rank by population, 2023: 6 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: 2.8%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: +2.12% · +4,732,050 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 250
Land area, 2023: 910,770 km²
Births, 2023: 7,509,758
Deaths, 2023: 2,675,442
Net migration, 2023: −57,936
Children per woman, 2023: 4.48
Median age, 2023: 18.8 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 54.5 years
In a city, 2025: 50 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 37,283,010
Projected, mid-2050: 359,185,556
Projected, mid-2100: 476,747,781

NGA · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections0200 m400 m600 m800 m1 bn1.2 bn1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Each column is the population on 1 January of one year; the paper rules cut it into equal cells.

Show the numbers: Nigeria, 1950–2100

Nigeria: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	36,932,160		1,706,938	1,025,753	6.42	35.5
1951	estimate	37,633,861		1,742,392	1,039,587	6.42	35.7
1952	estimate	38,354,293		1,773,064	1,055,349	6.39	35.9
1953	estimate	39,078,110		1,811,346	1,071,466	6.40	36.0
1954	estimate	39,801,530		1,847,612	1,086,426	6.40	36.2
1955	estimate	40,551,117		1,887,407	1,105,754	6.40	36.3
1956	estimate	41,320,152		1,928,436	1,123,805	6.41	36.5
1957	estimate	42,111,958		1,970,252	1,142,696	6.40	36.6
1958	estimate	42,922,993		2,009,025	1,158,239	6.39	36.8
1959	estimate	43,726,298		2,047,963	1,174,172	6.38	37.0
1960	estimate	44,597,063		2,093,279	1,191,984	6.36	37.2
1961	estimate	45,510,501		2,141,004	1,208,892	6.35	37.4
1962	estimate	46,468,119		2,195,278	1,228,838	6.36	37.6
1963	estimate	47,462,465		2,243,201	1,248,102	6.35	37.8
1964	estimate	48,484,684		2,297,200	1,268,943	6.36	38.0
1965	estimate	49,539,349		2,348,954	1,287,109	6.37	38.2
1966	estimate	50,634,178		2,405,893	1,310,294	6.39	38.4
1967	estimate	51,742,289		2,461,109	1,378,249	6.40	37.5
1968	estimate	52,843,840		2,519,965	1,351,693	6.42	38.6
1969	estimate	54,021,727		2,581,934	1,368,464	6.44	39.0
1970	estimate	55,242,100		2,648,473	1,352,961	6.47	40.0
1971	estimate	56,545,575		2,732,849	1,358,988	6.53	40.6
1972	estimate	57,883,793		2,810,108	1,361,228	6.58	41.3
1973	estimate	59,319,703		2,895,609	1,370,123	6.63	41.8
1974	estimate	60,844,576		3,001,195	1,376,344	6.70	42.5
1975	estimate	62,513,712		3,107,689	1,389,086	6.77	43.0
1976	estimate	64,307,919		3,197,711	1,370,419	6.81	44.2
1977	estimate	66,208,099		3,302,205	1,378,288	6.86	44.9
1978	estimate	68,261,080		3,414,498	1,394,858	6.92	45.4
1979	estimate	70,391,984		3,488,883	1,414,096	6.89	45.7
1980	estimate	72,604,499		3,561,961	1,440,350	6.85	46.0
1981	estimate	74,924,784		3,640,502	1,460,576	6.82	46.3
1982	estimate	77,211,423		3,725,277	1,491,838	6.80	46.4
1983	estimate	79,545,979		3,823,155	1,531,059	6.78	46.4
1984	estimate	81,330,541		3,840,878	1,562,828	6.70	46.3
1985	estimate	83,722,345		3,896,700	1,606,955	6.62	46.2
1986	estimate	86,073,600		3,951,095	1,656,069	6.56	46.0
1987	estimate	88,398,306		4,018,041	1,695,646	6.50	45.9
1988	estimate	90,785,125		4,114,696	1,738,281	6.50	45.8
1989	estimate	93,255,055		4,234,043	1,781,709	6.49	45.8
1990	estimate	95,806,973		4,323,148	1,831,199	6.46	45.7
1991	estimate	98,434,877		4,419,699	1,891,890	6.43	45.5
1992	estimate	101,005,446		4,526,023	1,929,783	6.39	45.6
1993	estimate	103,740,095		4,636,869	1,963,124	6.35	45.8
1994	estimate	106,504,044		4,748,227	2,013,021	6.32	45.8
1995	estimate	109,367,384		4,884,848	2,054,000	6.27	45.9
1996	estimate	112,271,472		4,988,092	2,105,926	6.22	45.8
1997	estimate	115,238,085		5,079,895	2,143,367	6.14	46.0
1998	estimate	118,271,498		5,179,498	2,175,571	6.07	46.1
1999	estimate	121,421,011		5,346,097	2,190,668	6.08	46.6
2000	estimate	124,673,629		5,547,161	2,203,964	6.12	47.1
2001	estimate	128,091,359		5,705,335	2,227,026	6.13	47.5
2002	estimate	131,633,830		5,848,982	2,242,258	6.12	48.0
2003	estimate	135,310,147		5,997,118	2,245,986	6.10	48.6
2004	estimate	139,095,142		6,132,384	2,254,944	6.09	49.1
2005	estimate	143,018,948		6,289,434	2,275,677	6.06	49.5
2006	estimate	147,015,559		6,435,928	2,300,284	6.05	49.9
2007	estimate	151,139,108		6,574,697	2,309,237	6.03	50.4
2008	estimate	155,395,414		6,745,470	2,332,617	6.02	50.8
2009	estimate	159,794,614		6,886,601	2,358,479	5.99	51.1
2010	estimate	164,304,314		7,022,105	2,392,929	5.95	51.3
2011	estimate	168,981,457		7,162,528	2,434,059	5.89	51.5
2012	estimate	173,777,738		7,244,727	2,470,096	5.80	51.7
2013	estimate	178,623,511		7,321,803	2,510,137	5.69	51.8
2014	estimate	183,475,375		7,415,859	2,553,399	5.62	51.9
2015	estimate	188,318,455		7,426,774	2,603,771	5.50	51.9
2016	estimate	193,025,301		7,382,060	2,620,526	5.34	52.2
2017	estimate	197,862,099		7,347,957	2,641,677	5.18	52.4
2018	estimate	202,647,058		7,314,240	2,654,289	5.02	52.7
2019	estimate	207,230,451		7,266,105	2,655,999	4.86	53.0
2020	estimate	211,740,831		7,218,484	2,693,283	4.70	53.1
2021	estimate	216,251,531		7,330,875	2,689,256	4.64	53.5
2022	estimate	220,807,042		7,406,815	2,667,414	4.55	54.1
2023	estimate	225,494,749		7,509,758	2,675,442	4.48	54.5
2024	estimate	230,271,141		7,560,407	2,708,530	4.38	54.6
2025	projection	235,087,814	233.7–236.4 million	7,640,590	2,745,394	4.30	54.8
2026	projection	239,967,749	237.0–242.7 million	7,711,752	2,780,783	4.21	55.0
2027	projection	244,895,915	240.2–249.2 million	7,764,061	2,817,799	4.10	55.1
2028	projection	249,852,610	243.2–255.6 million	7,824,729	2,855,553	4.01	55.3
2029	projection	254,839,645	246.4–262.6 million	7,899,761	2,896,216	3.92	55.4
2030	projection	259,865,631	249.2–269.6 million	7,944,601	2,938,007	3.82	55.5
2031	projection	264,896,308	251.9–277.2 million	8,000,667	2,977,724	3.73	55.7
2032	projection	269,945,841	254.2–284.4 million	8,059,354	3,017,211	3.65	55.9
2033	projection	275,021,443	257.0–292.2 million	8,088,355	3,056,902	3.56	56.0
2034	projection	280,088,787	259.7–300.3 million	8,128,869	3,096,924	3.48	56.2
2035	projection	285,156,007	262.4–308.3 million	8,162,901	3,138,899	3.41	56.3
2036	projection	290,215,518	264.3–316.7 million	8,192,471	3,180,461	3.34	56.5
2037	projection	295,263,274	266.5–325.1 million	8,204,968	3,221,251	3.27	56.6
2038	projection	300,283,214	268.9–333.9 million	8,219,284	3,261,840	3.21	56.8
2039	projection	305,281,503	271.2–343.2 million	8,232,118	3,302,935	3.15	56.9
2040	projection	310,248,009	272.8–352.2 million	8,226,065	3,342,461	3.10	57.1
2041	projection	315,172,822	274.6–361.4 million	8,211,810	3,384,199	3.04	57.2
2042	projection	320,041,666	277.1–370.6 million	8,196,614	3,422,103	2.99	57.4
2043	projection	324,858,953	278.5–380.1 million	8,187,221	3,463,414	2.94	57.5
2044	projection	329,628,926	280.7–388.9 million	8,172,186	3,507,662	2.89	57.6
2045	projection	334,337,790	282.7–398.2 million	8,153,979	3,548,709	2.85	57.8
2046	projection	338,987,213	284.7–408.1 million	8,139,254	3,592,415	2.80	58.0
2047	projection	343,576,313	286.9–417.1 million	8,122,372	3,635,538	2.76	58.1
2048	projection	348,111,705	288.7–427.8 million	8,101,318	3,677,215	2.73	58.3
2049	projection	352,583,833	290.7–436.9 million	8,090,108	3,721,409	2.69	58.4
2050	projection	357,001,017	293.0–446.7 million	8,080,118	3,768,006	2.66	58.5
2051	projection	361,370,094	294.3–456.5 million	8,066,177	3,812,925	2.63	58.7
2052	projection	365,677,127	295.1–466.2 million	8,066,238	3,861,271	2.60	58.8
2053	projection	369,930,286	296.7–476.5 million	8,051,077	3,908,971	2.57	59.0
2054	projection	374,117,559	297.6–486.2 million	8,030,698	3,954,416	2.54	59.1
2055	projection	378,237,281	298.4–497.0 million	8,017,096	4,001,404	2.51	59.2
2056	projection	382,299,706	299.6–509.0 million	8,008,822	4,049,980	2.48	59.4
2057	projection	386,301,654	299.9–519.3 million	7,992,458	4,101,863	2.46	59.5
2058	projection	390,234,537	300.1–533.3 million	7,984,043	4,149,238	2.44	59.6
2059	projection	394,106,890	300.2–546.3 million	7,972,427	4,198,196	2.41	59.8
2060	projection	397,911,853	300.5–559.9 million	7,958,840	4,247,292	2.39	59.9
2061	projection	401,658,681	301.4–573.3 million	7,936,912	4,296,246	2.37	60.1
2062	projection	405,344,108	301.2–586.2 million	7,907,219	4,348,090	2.34	60.2
2063	projection	408,954,279	301.8–599.6 million	7,880,988	4,399,855	2.32	60.3
2064	projection	412,497,102	302.5–611.9 million	7,855,152	4,450,979	2.30	60.5
2065	projection	415,968,042	302.7–625.8 million	7,828,275	4,504,708	2.28	60.6
2066	projection	419,350,220	302.4–638.0 million	7,798,125	4,562,537	2.27	60.7
2067	projection	422,645,873	301.4–651.7 million	7,776,106	4,616,255	2.25	60.8
2068	projection	425,866,183	301.3–665.1 million	7,747,113	4,671,986	2.23	61.0
2069	projection	428,985,573	300.5–677.2 million	7,713,292	4,730,717	2.22	61.1
2070	projection	432,021,395	300.4–688.9 million	7,680,672	4,792,600	2.20	61.2
2071	projection	434,949,993	299.7–701.0 million	7,646,175	4,851,443	2.19	61.3
2072	projection	437,796,566	299.0–714.0 million	7,611,826	4,914,059	2.17	61.5
2073	projection	440,544,632	298.3–728.1 million	7,576,933	4,978,147	2.16	61.6
2074	projection	443,190,032	297.2–743.8 million	7,543,279	5,044,104	2.15	61.7
2075	projection	445,741,026	296.2–759.1 million	7,506,489	5,108,747	2.13	61.9
2076	projection	448,198,159	294.9–773.6 million	7,468,523	5,173,740	2.12	62.0
2077	projection	450,542,705	293.3–788.7 million	7,430,715	5,247,525	2.11	62.1
2078	projection	452,777,899	290.8–804.7 million	7,395,121	5,316,094	2.10	62.2
2079	projection	454,922,895	290.4–822.1 million	7,363,550	5,387,877	2.08	62.3
2080	projection	456,962,694	289.7–835.1 million	7,324,512	5,461,577	2.07	62.5
2081	projection	458,880,486	288.5–845.4 million	7,287,814	5,532,735	2.06	62.6
2082	projection	460,690,923	288.0–861.1 million	7,258,496	5,604,844	2.05	62.7
2083	projection	462,388,341	287.0–876.2 million	7,221,159	5,672,355	2.04	62.8
2084	projection	463,990,432	285.1–885.1 million	7,191,997	5,745,934	2.03	62.9
2085	projection	465,496,801	283.1–900.1 million	7,154,241	5,819,264	2.02	63.0
2086	projection	466,886,206	282.6–914.9 million	7,119,014	5,889,387	2.02	63.1
2087	projection	468,176,378	281.5–927.9 million	7,085,493	5,955,649	2.01	63.3
2088	projection	469,359,972	280.7–938.8 million	7,049,587	6,014,951	2.00	63.4
2089	projection	470,443,630	277.7–957.5 million	7,020,651	6,077,015	1.99	63.5
2090	projection	471,436,473	275.9–972.6 million	6,985,656	6,138,805	1.98	63.6
2091	projection	472,334,564	274.4–990.2 million	6,948,651	6,192,098	1.97	63.7
2092	projection	473,149,067	0.27–1.01 billion	6,905,166	6,245,461	1.96	63.9
2093	projection	473,851,284	0.27–1.02 billion	6,871,727	6,295,826	1.96	64.0
2094	projection	474,470,510	0.27–1.03 billion	6,840,119	6,341,988	1.95	64.1
2095	projection	475,008,483	0.27–1.05 billion	6,807,178	6,385,844	1.95	64.2
2096	projection	475,487,401	0.27–1.07 billion	6,776,066	6,427,180	1.94	64.3
2097	projection	475,898,825	0.26–1.08 billion	6,739,111	6,466,172	1.93	64.4
2098	projection	476,239,025	0.26–1.10 billion	6,706,166	6,506,600	1.93	64.5
2099	projection	476,511,226	0.26–1.12 billion	6,661,669	6,538,203	1.92	64.6
2100	projection	476,692,581	0.26–1.13 billion	6,624,188	6,572,322	1.91	64.7

Show the numbers: Nigeria, mid-2026, by single year of age

Nigeria: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	3,697,650	3,587,520
1	3,569,720	3,480,650
2	3,499,080	3,417,170
3	3,425,800	3,347,010
4	3,348,030	3,269,240
5	3,270,200	3,188,940
6	3,222,520	3,136,460
7	3,212,730	3,120,270
8	3,203,190	3,104,130
9	3,193,030	3,089,450
10	3,185,580	3,080,600
11	3,169,580	3,065,040
12	3,125,890	3,023,680
13	3,071,090	2,969,010
14	3,020,880	2,916,180
15	2,957,380	2,851,540
16	2,884,500	2,777,420
17	2,814,080	2,707,320
18	2,739,190	2,635,380
19	2,666,920	2,564,920
20	2,596,290	2,496,890
21	2,514,440	2,419,770
22	2,425,450	2,335,710
23	2,328,790	2,244,740
24	2,225,780	2,146,860
25	2,121,190	2,046,220
26	2,009,400	1,938,430
27	1,902,360	1,835,000
28	1,820,630	1,756,170
29	1,757,830	1,695,740
30	1,698,950	1,638,630
31	1,636,330	1,577,170
32	1,575,040	1,517,620
33	1,519,640	1,465,830
34	1,466,510	1,417,680
35	1,418,460	1,373,640
36	1,375,540	1,333,740
37	1,329,560	1,291,140
38	1,283,270	1,247,910
39	1,246,320	1,213,380
40	1,217,020	1,185,570
41	1,190,040	1,159,410
42	1,164,730	1,134,850
43	1,132,860	1,104,090
44	1,094,530	1,067,270
45	1,058,540	1,033,530
46	1,023,570	1,001,450
47	988,642	969,070
48	947,669	930,262
49	901,801	886,410
50	857,137	844,973
51	810,673	803,162
52	762,570	759,458
53	718,736	718,727
54	680,135	681,924
55	643,123	645,851
56	608,338	612,142
57	576,693	582,287
58	546,040	553,922
59	516,371	527,012
60	487,826	501,475
61	460,430	477,101
62	434,062	453,252
63	408,673	429,713
64	383,692	406,088
65	359,066	382,357
66	335,438	359,278
67	312,682	336,754
68	290,642	314,678
69	268,641	292,448
70	246,745	270,110
71	225,336	248,050
72	204,705	226,574
73	184,800	205,692
74	165,836	185,769
75	147,730	166,699
76	129,094	146,935
77	112,538	129,147
78	101,730	114,586
79	91,640	101,102
80	79,288	87,862
81	66,965	74,716
82	55,463	62,408
83	45,136	51,306
84	36,147	41,603
85	28,496	33,310
86	22,090	26,316
87	16,800	20,470
88	12,446	15,571
89	8,918	11,507
90	6,176	8,263
91	4,150	5,788
92	2,706	3,959
93	1,710	2,640
94	1,048	1,718
95	623	1,091
96	359	676
97	201	408
98	108	239
99	56	136
100+	56	152

NGA · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

Nigeria, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

NGA · ages 15–64

Who does the work in Nigeria

On the UN's projection, Nigeria will have the most working-age people it ever has in 2096: 321,718,000 people aged 15–64. In 2023 it had 126,429,000.

100 aged 15–64

75 children

5 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: the orange squares are 100 people aged 15–64 in 2023, and the rows below are how many children (teal) and how many people aged 65 or older (violet) lived alongside them.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 43 years: 2058–2100.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: one stripe a year from 1950 to 2100. A stripe takes colour in a year when fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people of working age, and stays grey otherwise; hatching means the year is projected.

How every country compares

NGA · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in Nigeria, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 Nigeria loses 49,161 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 48,047 a year more arriving than leaving.

one square = 5,000 people a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: left to right is age, from babies to 100. Blue squares above the line are ages at which more people arrive than leave; orange squares below it, ages at which more leave than arrive. These are the UN's projection for 2020–2025. There is no record of migration by age before 2020.

Across the counted years, 1950 to 2023, its biggest single-year gain was 198,672 (1980); its biggest loss, 507,539 (1983).

In 2024, 1,403,281 people living in Nigeria had been born in another country, fewer than 1 of every 100 people there, against fewer than 1 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

NGA · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in Nigeria

Of every 100 babies born in Nigeria in 2023, 15 had a mother under 20, 69 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 16 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 15 under 20 and 20 aged 35 or older.

1950
15 · 65 · 20

2023
15 · 69 · 16

2050 · projected
9 · 76 · 15

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: each block is 100 babies born in that year, one square each, coloured by how old the mother was. The numbers under a block are the three groups, youngest mothers first.

Babies born, 2023: 7,509,758
Average age when women have a baby: 29.2 years; 29.9 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 86; 121 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in Nigeria by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	37,326	78,141	102,042	35,918	6,075	922
15–19	222,830	592,857	901,622	1,072,768	725,599	266,618
20–24	390,746	737,035	1,393,319	2,063,325	2,271,147	1,377,755
25–29	404,992	662,433	1,282,264	1,810,100	2,200,737	2,017,274
30–34	317,697	508,392	952,177	1,340,368	1,643,857	1,787,939
35–39	201,766	319,676	588,965	773,370	878,968	894,403
40–44	107,465	171,103	251,756	324,998	295,169	246,370
45–49	22,857	36,268	71,272	84,755	56,175	31,979
50–54	1,259	1,784	3,744	4,156	2,391	928
All babies	1,706,938	3,107,689	5,547,161	7,509,758	8,080,118	6,624,188

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

NGA · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in Nigeria

Of the 63.4 years a baby born in Nigeria in 2021 could expect, about 55.0 would be lived in full health (95% range 53.9–56.2). That leaves 8.4 years in less than full health, fewer than the world's 9.5, which mostly means lives are shorter here, with fewer years in which to be ill.

Women

55.0 in full health, 9.8 not: 64.8 years

Men

54.9 in full health, 7.2 not: 62.1 years

a year in full health a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 55.0 healthy years of 64.8. Men: 54.9 of 62.1.

NGA · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in Nigeria

At the end of 2025, 3,544,519 people were displaced inside Nigeria, about 15 of every 1,000 people living there.

hosted from abroad142,040
displaced inside it3,544,519
Nigeria nationals abroad534,326

stayed inside their own country crossed a border

How to read this: one square stands for 100,000 people, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from Nigeria living in another country, wherever they are.

In 2025, 24,493 people asked for asylum in Nigeria for the first time; 21,152 people from Nigeria asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from Nigeria whose claims were decided that year, 25 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

NGA · of every 100 people

How people live in Nigeria

Of every 100 people in Nigeria in 2025, 50 lived in a city, 32 in a town or suburb and 18 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

37.5 of every 100 have no electricity at home (2024). 58.8 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: 100 squares, one for every 100th person, coloured by where they live, as the key says. The same rule is used in every country.

How the world's people live

NGA · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in Nigeria went in school

Of every 100 adults in Nigeria in 2020, 35 never went to school and 39 finished upper secondary or went further.

35 never went to school 4 some primary 16 finished primary 6 finished lower secondary 24 finished upper secondary 15 studied after school

The young went further: 31 of every 100 women aged 25–29 never went to school, against 62.2 of every 100 aged 60–64 (men: 17.8 against 38.2).

Its people aged 15 to 64 are still growing in 2100 in the middle projection.

How to read this: the row is the adults (25 and over) shrunk to 100 people, coloured by how far each went in school, least schooling on the left. The Wittgenstein Centre's count, 2020.

How far the world's people went in school

NGA · cities · 2025

Cities in Nigeria

Nigeria had 457 cities in 2025, home to 117.9 million people. The largest, Lagos, holds 5 of every 100 people in Nigeria.

Lagos12,791,699
Onitsha5,627,706
Kano4,840,280
Owerri3,833,343
Ibadan3,720,721
Port Harcourt2,341,445
Kaduna1,890,448
Benin City1,845,432
Warri1,607,702
Uyo1,567,115

All 113 cities in Nigeria that reach 300,000 people

Lagos 12,791,699
Onitsha 5,627,706
Kano 4,840,280
Owerri 3,833,343
Ibadan 3,720,721
Port Harcourt 2,341,445
Kaduna 1,890,448
Benin City 1,845,432
Warri 1,607,702
Uyo 1,567,115
Aba 1,428,069
Aboh 1,374,320
Abuja 1,373,722
Ilorin 1,282,219
Maiduguri 1,225,505
Enugu 1,115,303
Otite 1,020,218
Jos 923,652
Ikorodu 916,166
Sokoto 903,238
Umuahia 843,245
Nsukka 830,196
Abeokuta 801,826
Oyo 793,241
Yola 758,153
Zaria 712,688
Akure 700,747
Calabar 673,427
Bauchi 642,082
Lokoja 629,547
Ado Ekiti 598,230
Ogale 595,099
Katsina 594,775
Yenagoa 586,393
Madalla 583,367
Ondo 564,330
Minna 516,451
Ijebu-Ode 500,036
Ife 492,000
Gusau 475,004
Oshogbo 473,929
Ilesa 450,464
Ogbomosho 445,090
Titi 436,744
Oron 436,247
Dere 425,674
Bida 421,605
Ikot Ekpene 418,650
Makurdi 408,753
Abakaliki 406,105
Asaba 403,859
Saki 400,875
Potiskum 397,981
Iseyin 389,526
KUNDULUN 380,118
Gamboru 376,374
Abonnema 372,654
Oyigbo 371,913
Daura 369,916
Gboko 367,407
Ikere-Ekiti 338,367
Bonny 335,542
Gwagwalada 333,464
Ikare 330,941
Erin-osun 330,484
Sapele 315,614
Ughelli 307,005
Owo 301,931
Ado 300,622
Bugama 299,022
Birnin Kebbi 296,331
Okrika 289,429
Awka 283,069
Ikirun 281,875
Iwo 277,101
Magboro 273,818
Eket 270,603
Ijebu-Igbo 269,742
Lafia 267,580
Agbor 267,341
Jalingo 262,796
Mubi 262,651
Agbara 261,298
Abua 258,314
Otukpo 257,334
Ogu 256,345
Abat 256,126
Hadejia 252,778
Azare 252,755
Abak 248,528
Ore 241,251
Funtua 236,087
Biliri 232,398
Oke Iho 232,348
Jega 228,584
Ile Oluji 224,781
Gwoza 220,641
Omuo-Obadore 218,751
Okitipupa 218,097
Auchi 212,634
Uromi 208,157
Afikpo 201,084
Omoku 200,802
Dutse 197,314
Ago-Iwoye 189,841
Amassoma 188,265
Akugba 183,921
Unguwar Arewa 166,817
Bori 148,370
Rubuchi 138,912
Okposi 134,677
Enugu-Ezike 79,250
Ikot Ide 69,806

How to read this: the 10 biggest cities here in 2025, drawn on a single scale so the bars can be compared. Each is a built-up area on the UN's rule rather than a city government's patch.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for Nigeria are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.