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%.

Nigeria population, 1960–2024 · Source: U.S. Census Bureau — decennial census & Population Estimates

232,679,478

Population (2024)

45,053,782

Population (1960)

232,679,478

Peak (2024)

2.60%

Avg Annual Growth

Year	Population	Change	Annual %	Source
1960	45,053,782	-	-	estimate
1961	45,989,310	+935,528	+2.08%	estimate
1962	46,965,292	+975,982	+2.12%	estimate
1963	47,973,575	+1,008,283	+2.15%	estimate
1964	49,012,016	+1,038,441	+2.16%	estimate
1965	50,086,764	+1,074,748	+2.19%	estimate
1966	51,188,234	+1,101,470	+2.20%	estimate
1967	52,293,065	+1,104,831	+2.16%	estimate
1968	53,432,783	+1,139,718	+2.18%	estimate
1969	54,631,914	+1,199,131	+2.24%	estimate
1970	55,893,838	+1,261,924	+2.31%	estimate
1971	57,214,684	+1,320,846	+2.36%	estimate
1972	58,601,748	+1,387,064	+2.42%	estimate
1973	60,082,139	+1,480,391	+2.53%	estimate
1974	61,679,144	+1,597,005	+2.66%	estimate
1975	63,410,815	+1,731,671	+2.81%	estimate
1976	65,258,009	+1,847,194	+2.91%	estimate
1977	67,234,590	+1,976,581	+3.03%	estimate
1978	69,326,532	+2,091,942	+3.11%	estimate
1979	71,498,242	+2,171,710	+3.13%	estimate
1980	73,764,641	+2,266,399	+3.17%	estimate
1981	76,068,103	+2,303,462	+3.12%	estimate
1982	78,378,701	+2,310,598	+3.04%	estimate
1983	80,438,260	+2,059,559	+2.63%	estimate
1984	82,526,443	+2,088,183	+2.60%	estimate
1985	84,897,973	+2,371,530	+2.87%	estimate
1986	87,235,953	+2,337,980	+2.75%	estimate
1987	89,591,716	+2,355,763	+2.70%	estimate
1988	92,020,090	+2,428,374	+2.71%	estimate
1989	94,531,014	+2,510,924	+2.73%	estimate
1990	97,120,925	+2,589,911	+2.74%	estimate
1991	99,720,162	+2,599,237	+2.68%	estimate
1992	102,372,770	+2,652,608	+2.66%	estimate
1993	105,122,069	+2,749,299	+2.69%	estimate
1994	107,935,714	+2,813,645	+2.68%	estimate
1995	110,819,428	+2,883,714	+2.67%	estimate
1996	113,754,779	+2,935,351	+2.65%	estimate
1997	116,754,792	+3,000,013	+2.64%	estimate
1998	119,846,254	+3,091,462	+2.65%	estimate
1999	123,047,320	+3,201,066	+2.67%	estimate
2000	126,382,494	+3,335,174	+2.71%	estimate
2001	129,862,595	+3,480,101	+2.75%	estimate
2002	133,471,989	+3,609,394	+2.78%	estimate
2003	137,202,644	+3,730,655	+2.80%	estimate
2004	141,057,045	+3,854,401	+2.81%	estimate
2005	145,017,253	+3,960,208	+2.81%	estimate
2006	149,077,334	+4,060,081	+2.80%	estimate
2007	153,267,261	+4,189,927	+2.81%	estimate
2008	157,595,014	+4,327,753	+2.82%	estimate
2009	162,049,464	+4,454,450	+2.83%	estimate
2010	166,642,886	+4,593,422	+2.83%	estimate
2011	171,379,598	+4,736,712	+2.84%	estimate
2012	176,200,625	+4,821,027	+2.81%	estimate
2013	181,049,443	+4,848,818	+2.75%	estimate
2014	185,896,915	+4,847,472	+2.68%	estimate
2015	190,671,878	+4,774,963	+2.57%	estimate
2016	195,443,700	+4,771,822	+2.50%	estimate
2017	200,254,579	+4,810,879	+2.46%	estimate
2018	204,938,755	+4,684,176	+2.34%	estimate
2019	209,485,641	+4,546,886	+2.22%	estimate
2020	213,996,181	+4,510,540	+2.15%	estimate
2021	218,529,286	+4,533,105	+2.12%	estimate
2022	223,150,896	+4,621,610	+2.11%	estimate
2023	227,882,945	+4,732,049	+2.12%	estimate
2024	232,679,478	+4,796,533	+2.10%	estimate

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

Mobile Subs per 100

250.2

People per km2

-57,936

Net Migration

Environment

23.2%

Forest Area

Other Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa

Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi

Compare Nigeria

vs South Africa

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

Angola (36,749,906)Benin (14,111,034)Botswana (2,480,244)Burkina Faso (23,025,776)Burundi (13,689,450)All countries →

Country rankings

Populated Countries in the World Countries With Highest GDP Per Capita Countries With Highest Life Expectancy Countries With Highest Fertility Rates Countries With Highest Literacy Rates Urbanized Countries in the World Fastest Growing Countries by Population Countries With Highest Infant Mortality Countries With Highest Income Inequality Countries With Most International Tourism All 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.

Sources: World Bank Open Data

International data from the World Bank Open Data API. Population figures are latest available estimates. GDP per capita in current US dollars.

With 227,882,945 residents, Nigeria is a country in Sub-Saharan Africa . Its population is growing quickly, by about 2.1% a year.

GDP per capita is roughly $2,139, placing Nigeria among lower-income economies. Life expectancy is 54.5 years, below the global average, with a fertility rate of 4.5 births per woman, and 62.2% of the population lives in urban areas.

Source: World Bank Open Data, 2026.