Rank #140 by World Population
🇳🇬Nigeria
Nigeria has a population of 227,882,945, ranking #140 in the world. The capital is Abuja. Located in Sub-Saharan Africa .
World Bank: Lower middle income
227,882,945
Population
#140
World Rank
54.5
Life Expectancy
$2,139
GDP Per Capita
Nigeria, #140 by world population
Nigeria Population History (1960-2024)
The country of Nigeria had a population of 45,053,782 in 1960 and 232,679,478 in 2024, a 5.2× growth over 64 years. The peak was 232,679,478 in 2024. Average annual growth rate: 2.60%.
232,679,478
Population (2024)
45,053,782
Population (1960)
232,679,478
Peak (2024)
2.60%
Avg Annual Growth
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1960 | 45,053,782 |
| 1961 | 45,989,310 |
| 1962 | 46,965,292 |
| 1963 | 47,973,575 |
| 1964 | 49,012,016 |
| 1965 | 50,086,764 |
| 1966 | 51,188,234 |
| 1967 | 52,293,065 |
| 1968 | 53,432,783 |
| 1969 | 54,631,914 |
| 1970 | 55,893,838 |
| 1971 | 57,214,684 |
| 1972 | 58,601,748 |
| 1973 | 60,082,139 |
| 1974 | 61,679,144 |
| 1975 | 63,410,815 |
| 1976 | 65,258,009 |
| 1977 | 67,234,590 |
| 1978 | 69,326,532 |
| 1979 | 71,498,242 |
| 1980 | 73,764,641 |
| 1981 | 76,068,103 |
| 1982 | 78,378,701 |
| 1983 | 80,438,260 |
| 1984 | 82,526,443 |
| 1985 | 84,897,973 |
| 1986 | 87,235,953 |
| 1987 | 89,591,716 |
| 1988 | 92,020,090 |
| 1989 | 94,531,014 |
| 1990 | 97,120,925 |
| 1991 | 99,720,162 |
| 1992 | 102,372,770 |
| 1993 | 105,122,069 |
| 1994 | 107,935,714 |
| 1995 | 110,819,428 |
| 1996 | 113,754,779 |
| 1997 | 116,754,792 |
| 1998 | 119,846,254 |
| 1999 | 123,047,320 |
| 2000 | 126,382,494 |
| 2001 | 129,862,595 |
| 2002 | 133,471,989 |
| 2003 | 137,202,644 |
| 2004 | 141,057,045 |
| 2005 | 145,017,253 |
| 2006 | 149,077,334 |
| 2007 | 153,267,261 |
| 2008 | 157,595,014 |
| 2009 | 162,049,464 |
| 2010 | 166,642,886 |
| 2011 | 171,379,598 |
| 2012 | 176,200,625 |
| 2013 | 181,049,443 |
| 2014 | 185,896,915 |
| 2015 | 190,671,878 |
| 2016 | 195,443,700 |
| 2017 | 200,254,579 |
| 2018 | 204,938,755 |
| 2019 | 209,485,641 |
| 2020 | 213,996,181 |
| 2021 | 218,529,286 |
| 2022 | 223,150,896 |
| 2023 | 227,882,945 |
| 2024 | 232,679,478 |
Demographics
| Population | 227,882,945 |
| Population Growth Rate | 2.10% |
| Urban Population | 62.2% |
| Fertility Rate | 4.48 births/woman |
| Life Expectancy | 54.5 years |
| Infant Mortality Rate | 70.1 per 1,000 |
| Literacy Rate | 63.2% |
Economy & Trade
$2,139
GDP Per Capita
3.1%
Unemployment Rate
Lower middle income
Income Level
33.9
Gini Index (inequality)
Health & Education
4.2%
Health Expenditure (% GDP)
0.38
Physicians per 1,000
0.3%
Education Expenditure (% GDP)
63.2%
Literacy Rate
70.1
Infant Mortality (per 1,000)
Development & Connectivity
61.2%
Electricity Access
39.1%
Internet Users
89
Mobile Subs per 100
250.2
People per km2
-57,936
Net Migration
Environment
23.2%
Forest Area
Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Compare Nigeria
Nigeria in global context
Nigeria is one of 212 countries tracked. See how it ranks globally, regional shares of world population, and projections to 2050 / 2100.
World Population 2026: Top 10 Countries, Regions & Trends →Other related entities
Country rankings
Frequently Asked Questions
Nigeria has a population of 227,882,945, ranking #140 in the world. The annual population growth rate is 2.10%.
Life expectancy in Nigeria is 54.5 years. The infant mortality rate is 70.1 per 1,000 live births.
Nigeria's GDP per capita is $2,139. It is classified as a lower middle income country by the World Bank.
62.2% of Nigeria's population lives in urban areas. The overall population density is 250.2 people per square kilometer.
The adult literacy rate in Nigeria is 63.2%. The country spends 0.3% of GDP on education.
International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. population demographics distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the U.S. Census Bureau ACS and decennial files portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. states, metros, cities, and ZIPs with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS, 2026.