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.

Total current population for Nigeria in 2025 is 234,573,603, a 2.37% increase from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Total population for Nigeria in 2024 was <strong>229,152,217</strong>, a <strong>0.56% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Total population for Nigeria in 2023 was <strong>227,882,945</strong>, a <strong>2.12% increase</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Total population for Nigeria in 2022 was <strong>223,150,896</strong>, a <strong>2.11% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.

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.

Population, total in Nigeria was reported at 227882945 in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Population, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

The total population of Nigeria was estimated at approximately 227.71 million people in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the total population has risen by around 154.29 million people since 1980. Between 2024 and 2030, the total population will rise by around 35.27 million people, continuing its consistent upward trajectory.This indicator describes the total population in the country at hand. This total population of the country consists of all persons falling within the scope of the census.

Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) in Nigeria was reported at 41.36 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Population ages 0-14, female (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

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 total population in Nigeria was estimated at 227.9 million people in 2023, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Nigeria Population - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. As of 2025, the country counted over 237.5 million individuals, whereas Ethiopia, which ranked second, has around 135.5 million inhabitants. Egypt registered the largest population in North Africa, reaching nearly 118.4 million people. In terms of inhabitants per square kilometer, Nigeria only ranked seventh, while Mauritius had the highest population density on the whole African continent in 2023. The fastest-growing world region Africa is the second most populous continent in the world, after Asia. Nevertheless, Africa records the highest growth rate worldwide, with figures rising by over two percent every year. In some countries, such as Niger, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Chad, the population increase peaks at over three percent. With so many births, Africa is also the youngest continent in the world. However, this coincides with a low life expectancy. African cities on the rise The last decades have seen high urbanization rates in Asia, mainly in China and India. However, African cities are currently growing at larger rates. Indeed, most of the fastest-growing cities in the world are located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Gwagwalada, in Nigeria, and Kabinda, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, ranked first worldwide. By 2035, instead, Africa's fastest-growing cities are forecast to be Bujumbura, in Burundi, and Zinder, Nigeria.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Lagos, Nigeria metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Nigeria population growth rate for 2023 was 2.10%, a 0.01% increase from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Nigeria population growth rate for 2022 was <strong>2.09%</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Nigeria population growth rate for 2021 was <strong>2.10%</strong>, a <strong>0.03% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Nigeria population growth rate for 2020 was <strong>2.13%</strong>, a <strong>0.06% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

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.

Population, female in Nigeria was reported at 112676013 Persons in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Population, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

Population, male (% of total population) in Nigeria was reported at 50.56 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Population, male (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on June of 2025.

In 2024, roughly ***** percent of the population between 16 and 64 were using mobile payment services. This was an decrease from the previous year. Moreover, between 2019 and 2022, the share of the population reporting to use mobile money accounts in Nigeria remained stable. Indeed, this value stood at *** percent in all four years under consideration. This figure refers to services that store money in an electronic wallet connected to a phone number and excludes mobile payment services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay. Mobile money allows you to receive, store, and spend money using a mobile phone. Mobile money systems use agents and people at key locations throughout the country, including remote rural areas, to make a deposit or get cash. Mobile money is creating employment as a large number of people are becoming mobile money agents.

Forecast: Total Population Requiring Interventions Against Neglected Tropical Diseases in Nigeria 2024 - 2028 Discover more data with ReportLinker!

There were 49 797 600 Facebook users in Nigeria in January 2024, which accounted for 21.1% of its entire population. The majority of them were men - 57.6%. People aged 25 to 34 were the largest user group (16 800 000). The highest difference between men and women occurs within people aged 35 to 44, where men lead by 5 200 000.

Nigeria NG: Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % of Female Population data was reported at 8.638 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.629 % for 2016. Nigeria NG: Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % of Female Population data is updated yearly, averaging 8.662 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.205 % in 2003 and a record low of 8.320 % in 1988. Nigeria NG: Population: Female: Ages 20-24: % of Female Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Female population between the ages 20 to 24 as a percentage of the total female population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Ibadan, Nigeria metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Port Harcourt, Nigeria metro area from 1950 to 2025.