As of July 2024, Nigeria's population was estimated at around 229.5 million. Between 1965 and 2024, the number of people living in Nigeria increased at an average rate of over two percent. In 2024, the population grew by 2.42 percent compared to the previous year. Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. By extension, the African continent records the highest growth rate in the world. Africa's most populous country Nigeria was the most populous country in Africa as of 2023. As of 2022, Lagos held the distinction of being Nigeria's biggest urban center, a status it also retained as the largest city across all of sub-Saharan Africa. The city boasted an excess of 17.5 million residents. Notably, Lagos assumed the pivotal roles of the nation's primary financial hub, cultural epicenter, and educational nucleus. Furthermore, Lagos was one of the largest urban agglomerations in the world. Nigeria's youthful population In Nigeria, a significant 50 percent of the populace is under the age of 19. The most prominent age bracket is constituted by those up to four years old: comprising 8.3 percent of men and eight percent of women as of 2021. Nigeria boasts one of the world's most youthful populations. On a broader scale, both within Africa and internationally, Niger maintains the lowest median age record. Nigeria secures the 20th position in global rankings. Furthermore, the life expectancy in Nigeria is an average of 62 years old. However, this is different between men and women. The main causes of death have been neonatal disorders, malaria, and diarrheal diseases.

This statistic shows the total population of Nigeria from 2013 to 2023 by gender. In 2023, Nigeria's female population amounted to approximately 112.68 million, while the male population amounted to approximately 115.21 million inhabitants.

The Egyptian area of Cairo‑Alexandria‑Suhag was the largest city cluster in Africa as of 2021. Considering the over 1,000 cities that are part of the cluster (cities with over ****** residents that are within 100 kilometers' distance, adding up to a population of over *** million), the area counted around ** million inhabitants. The clusters of Lagos‑Ibadan‑Cotonou and Onitsha‑Uyo‑Port Harcourt in Nigeria followed, accounting for approximately ** million and ** million residents, respectively.

Nigeria's population structure reveals a youthful demographic, with those aged **** years comprising the largest age group compared to the total of those between the ages of 30 and 84 years. The majority of the young population are men. This demographic trend has significant implications for Nigeria's future, particularly in terms of economic development and social services. It has the potential to offer a large future workforce that could drive economic growth if it is adequately educated and employed. However, without sufficient investment in health, education, and job creation, this youth bulge could strain public resources and fuel unemployment and social unrest. Poverty challenges amid population growth Despite Nigeria's large youth population, the country faces substantial poverty challenges. This is largely due to its youth unemployment rate, which goes contrary to the expectation that the country’s large labor force would contribute to employment and the economic development of the nation. In 2022, an estimated **** million Nigerians lived in extreme poverty, defined as living on less than **** U.S. dollars a day. This number is expected to rise in the coming years, indicating a growing disparity between population growth and economic opportunities. The situation is particularly dire in rural areas, where **** million people live in extreme poverty compared to *** million in urban centers. Linguistic and ethnic diversity Nigeria's population is characterized by significant linguistic and ethnic diversity. Hausa is the most commonly spoken language at home, used by ** percent of the population, followed by Yoruba at ** percent and Igbo at ** percent. This linguistic variety reflects Nigeria's complex ethnic composition, with major groups including Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Fulani. English, the country's official language, serves as the primary language of instruction in schools, promoting literacy across diverse communities.

Chile INE Projection: Population: Los Lagos: Queilen data was reported at 5.496 Person th in 2035. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.502 Person th for 2034. Chile INE Projection: Population: Los Lagos: Queilen data is updated yearly, averaging 5.510 Person th from Jun 2002 (Median) to 2035, with 34 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.547 Person th in 2021 and a record low of 5.342 Person th in 2002. Chile INE Projection: Population: Los Lagos: Queilen data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Institute of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Chile – Table CL.G002: Population: Projection.

Nigeria is the African country with the largest population, counting over 230 million people. As of 2024, the largest city in Nigeria was Lagos, which is also the largest city in sub-Saharan Africa in terms of population size. The city counts more than nine million inhabitants, whereas Kano, the second most populous city, registers around 3.6 million inhabitants. Lagos is the main financial, cultural, and educational center in the country. Where Africa’s urban population is booming The metropolitan area of Lagos is also among the largest urban agglomerations in the world. Besides Lagos, another most populated citiy in Africa is Cairo, in Egypt. However, Africa’s urban population is booming in other relatively smaller cities. For instance, the population of Bujumbura, in Burundi, could grow by 123 percent between 2020 and 2035, making it the fastest growing city in Africa and likely in the world. Similarly, Zinder, in Niger, could reach over one million inhabitants by 2035, the second fastest growing city. Demographic urban shift More than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas. In the next decades, this will increase, especially in Africa and Asia. In 2020, over 80 percent of the population in Northern America was living in urban areas, the highest share in the world. In Africa, the degree of urbanization was about 40 percent, the lowest among all continents. Meeting the needs of a fast-growing population can be a challenge, especially in low-income countries. Therefore, there will be a growing necessity to implement policies to sustainably improve people’s lives in rural and urban areas.

Cairo, in Egypt, ranked as the most populated city in Africa as of 2025, with an estimated population of over 23 million inhabitants living in Greater Cairo. Kinshasa, in Congo, and Lagos, in Nigeria, followed with some 17.8 million and 17.2 million, respectively. Among the 15 largest cities in the continent, another one, Kano, was located in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. Population density trends in Africa As of 2023, Africa exhibited a population density of 50.1 individuals per square kilometer. Since 2000, the population density across the continent has been experiencing a consistent annual increment. Projections indicated that the average population residing within each square kilometer would rise to approximately 58.5 by the year 2030. Moreover, Mauritius stood out as the African nation with the most elevated population density, exceeding 627 individuals per square kilometre. Mauritius possesses one of the most compact territories on the continent, a factor that significantly influences its high population density. Urbanization dynamics in Africa The urbanization rate in Africa was anticipated to reach close to 45.5 percent in 2024. Urbanization across the continent has consistently risen since 2000, with urban areas accommodating only around a third of the total population then. This trajectory is projected to continue its rise in the years ahead. Nevertheless, the distribution between rural and urban populations shows remarkable diversity throughout the continent. In 2024, Gabon and Libya stood out as Africa’s most urbanized nations, each surpassing 80 percent urbanization. As of the same year, Africa's population was estimated to expand by 2.27 percent compared to the preceding year. Since 2000, the population growth rate across the continent has consistently exceeded 2.3 percent, reaching its pinnacle at 2.63 percent in 2013. Although the growth rate has experienced a deceleration, Africa's population will persistently grow significantly in the forthcoming years.

Key information about Nigeria Registered Motor Vehicles

• Nigeria Registered Motor Vehicles was reported at 11,605.207 Unit th in Dec 2020.
• This records an increase from the previous number of 3,750.000 Unit th for Dec 2015.
• Nigeria Registered Motor Vehicles data is updated yearly, averaging 3,150.000 Unit th from Dec 2005 to 2020, with 12 observations.
• The data reached an all-time high of 11,605.207 Unit th in 2020 and a record low of 1,747.000 Unit th in 2005.
• Nigeria Registered Motor Vehicles data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. The data is categorized under World Trend Plus’s Association: Automobile Sector – Table RA.OICA.VIU: Vehicle In Use: by Country (Discontinued).

The fastest growing city in Africa is Bujumbura, in Burundi. In 2020, this city had an estimated population of about one million. By 2035, the population of Bujumbura could increase by 123 percent and reach roughly 2.3 million people. Zinder, in Niger, had about half million inhabitants in 2020 and, with a growth rate of 118 percent, is Africa's second fastest growing city. In 2035, Zinder could have over one million residents.

As of 2021, the largest city in whole Africa is Lagos, in Nigeria. Other highly populated cities in Africa are Kinshasa, in Congo, Cairo, and Alexandria, both located in Egypt.

The Nigerian states of Sokoto and Taraba had the largest percentage of people living below the poverty line as of 2019. The lowest poverty rates were recorded in the South and South-Western states. In Lagos, this figure equaled 4.5 percent, the lowest rate in Nigeria.

A large population in poverty

In Nigeria, an individual is considered poor when they have an availability of less than 137.4 thousand Nigerian Naira (roughly 334 U.S. dollars) per year. Similarly, a person having under 87.8 thousand Naira (about 213 U.S. dollars) in a year available for food was living below the poverty line according to Nigerian national standards. In total, 40.1 percent of the population in Nigeria lived in poverty.

Food insecurity on the rise

On average, 21.4 percent of the population in Nigeria experienced hunger between 2018 and 2020. People in severe food insecurity would go for entire days without food due to lack of money or other resources. Over the last years, the prevalence with severe food among Nigerians has been increasing, as the demand for food is rising together with a fast-growing population.

As of the fourth quarter of 2021, banks in Nigeria employed about 90,000 individuals. Compared to the fourth quarter of 2020, when bank employees were 95,000, this figure decreased by some 5.3 percent. The largest drop was recorded between 2019 and 2020.

The average revenue per user in the e-commerce market in Nigeria was forecast to continuously decrease between 2025 and 2029 by in total 10.6 U.S. dollars (-3.09 percent). After the third consecutive decreasing year, the average revenue per user is estimated to reach 332.88 U.S. dollars and therefore a new minimum in 2029. Find more information concerning France and Colombia. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In the school year 2018/2019, there were roughly 513 thousand senior secondary school teachers in Nigeria, in both private and public schools. The state of Lagos counted more than 65 thousand teachers, the largest number nationwide. In the same year, there were about 27 thousand senior secondary schools in Nigeria. The state of Oyo alone counted around four thousand senior secondary schools, the highest number in the country.

In 2023, the total fertility rate in children per woman in Nigeria amounted to 4.48. Between 1960 and 2023, the figure dropped by 1.88, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

There were over 270 universities in Nigeria as of 2024, two of which were founded within the first half of that year. Of the total count, 149 were private while state and federal universities added up to 63 and 62, respectively. Some of Nigeria's oldest universities are the University of Ibadan, the University of Nigeria, the Obafemi Awolowo University, and the University of Lagos. These four institutions were founded between the end of the 1940s and the beginning of the 1960s. Nigeria’s biggest institutes As of 2019, the National Open University of Nigeria was the largest university in Nigeria by number of students. The number of all students enrolled in this institution reached 565,000 in the said year. The National Open University of Nigeria is one of the largest open and distance learning institutes in Africa. It is based in Abuja but has several campuses across Nigeria. What Nigerians study the most There were over 1.8 million full-time undergraduate university students in Nigeria as of 2019. Sciences and social sciences were the most common disciplines chosen by Nigerian students. Administration and management followed as the third most popular faculty. Among master and diploma students, however, administration and management had the largest number of students.