This statistic shows the median age of the population in Nigeria from 1950 to 2100. The median age is the age that divides a population into two numerically equal groups; that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population. In 2020, the median age of the Nigerian population was 16.9 years.

In 2020, the median age in Nigeria stood at 18.6 years. This means that, as of 2020, half of the population was younger than 18.6 years and half was older. Nigeria's population is among the youngest in Africa as well as in the world, with a mean age slightly above 18 years.

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.

This line chart displays median age (year) by date using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Nigeria. The data is about countries per year.

This horizontal bar chart displays median age (year) by date using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Nigeria. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

Nigeria: Dependent people as percent of the working age population: The latest value from 2023 is 84.33 percent, a decline from 85.25 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 58.49 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 1960 to 2023 is 87.5 percent. The minimum value, 79.6 percent, was reached in 1961 while the maximum of 93.07 percent was recorded in 1987.

As of 2018, half of women living in rural areas of Nigeria gave birth by the age of 19. In urban areas, the median age at first birth was higher (22.3 years).

The results of a survey conducted in 2018 show that about 45 percent of births in Nigeria were registered with the civil authorities. This percentage was larger in the urban areas of the countries than in the rural ones.

This bar chart displays median age (year) by region using the aggregation average, weighted by population in Nigeria. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

Nigeria: Population ages 65 and above, percent of total: The latest value from 2023 is 3.03 percent, an increase from 3.01 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 10.17 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 1960 to 2023 is 3.13 percent. The minimum value, 2.96 percent, was reached in 2017 while the maximum of 3.38 percent was recorded in 1963.

NG: Population: Growth data was reported at 2.599 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2.619 % for 2016. NG: Population: Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 2.552 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.044 % in 1978 and a record low of 1.976 % in 1960. NG: Population: Growth 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.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. 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.; ; Derived from total population. Population source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision, (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Nigeria NG: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data was reported at 82.602 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 82.925 % for 2016. Nigeria NG: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young data is updated yearly, averaging 82.468 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 87.186 % in 1987 and a record low of 74.878 % in 1960. Nigeria NG: Age Dependency Ratio: % of Working-Age Population: Young 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.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Age dependency ratio, young, is the ratio of younger dependents--people younger than 15--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

Nigeria Working Age Population data was reported at 122,049,400.000 Person in Dec 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 116,871,186.000 Person for Jun 2020. Nigeria Working Age Population data is updated quarterly, averaging 109,015,323.000 Person from Dec 2014 (Median) to Dec 2020, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 122,049,400.000 Person in Dec 2020 and a record low of 101,769,739.000 Person in Dec 2014. Nigeria Working Age Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.G005: Labour Force Statistics (Discontinued).

Lower secondary school starting age (years) in Nigeria was reported at 12 years in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Secondary school starting age (years) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This map shows the average household size in Nigeria in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, State, and Local Government Area). Nationally, the average household size is 4.5 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.

Graph and download economic data for Age Dependency Ratio: Older Dependents to Working-Age Population for Nigeria (SPPOPDPNDOLNGA) from 1960 to 2023 about 64 years +, Nigeria, working-age, ratio, and population.

As of 2018, women in Nigeria belonging to the low wealth quintiles married at a younger age compared to wealthier women. For instance, half of the women in the lowest wealth status were married by the age of **. On the contrary, half of the women living in the highest economic group married by the age of 24.

Data on the marital status of people in Nigeria show that women were more likely to be married or to live together with the partner compared to men. Some ** percent of women were either married or were living with their partner, whereas the share of men in the same marital status equaled to ** percent.

Graph and download economic data for Population ages 65 and above for Nigeria (SPPOP65UPTOZSNGA) from 1960 to 2024 about 65-years +, Nigeria, and population.

This scatter chart displays median age (year) against date (year) in Nigeria. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

The 1990 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is a nationally representative survey conducted by the Federal Office of Statistics with the aim of gathering reliable information on fertility, family planning, infant and child mortality, maternal care, vaccination status, breastfeeding, and nutrition. Data collection took place two years after implementation of the National Policy on Population and addresses issues raised by that policy. Fieldwork for the NDHS was conducted in two phases: from April to July 1990 in the southern states and from July to October 1990 in the northern states. Interviewers collected information on the reproductive histories of 8,781 women age 15-49 years and on the health of their 8,113 children under the age of five years. OBJECTIVES The Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) is a national sample survey of women of reproductive age designed to collect data on socioeconomic characteristics, marriage patterns, history of child bearing, breastfeeding, use of contraception, immunisation of children, accessibility to health and family planning services, treatment of children during episodes of illness, and the nutritional status of children. The primary objectives of the NDHS are: (i) To collect data for the evaluation of family planning and health programmes; (ii) To assess the demographic situation in Nigeria; and (iii) To support dissemination and utilisation of the results in planning and managing family planning and health programmes. MAIN RESULTS According to the NDHS, fertility remains high in Nigeria; at current fertility levels, Nigerian women will have an average of 6 children by the end of their reproductive years. The total fertility rate may actually be higher than 6.0, due to underestimation of births. In a 1981/82 survey, the total fertility rate was estimated to be 5.9 children per woman. One reason for the high level of fertility is that use of contraception is limited. Only 6 percent of married women currently use a contraceptive method (3.5 percent use a modem method, and 2.5 percent use a traditional method). These levels, while low, reflect an increase over the past decade: ten years ago just 1 percent of Nigerian women were using a modem family planning method. Periodic abstinence (rhythm method), the pill, IUD, and injection are the most popular methods among married couples: each is used by about 1 percent of currently married women. Knowledge of contraception remains low, with less than half of all women age 15-49 knowing of any method. Certain groups of women are far more likely to use contraception than others. For example, urban women are four times more likely to be using a contraceptive method (15 percent) than rural women (4 percent). Women in the Southwest, those with more education, and those with five or more children are also more likely to be using contraception. Levels of fertility and contraceptive use are not likely to change until there is a drop in desired family size and until the idea of reproductive choice is more widely accepted. At present, the average ideal family size is essentially the same as the total fertility rate: six children per woman. Thus, the vast majority of births are wanted. The desire for childbearing is strong: half of women with five children say that they want to have another child. Another factor leading to high fertility is the early age at marriage and childbearing in Nigeria. Half of all women are married by age 17 and half have become mothers by age 20. More than a quarter of teenagers (women age 15-19 years) either are pregnant or already have children. National statistics mask dramatic variations in fertility and family planning between urban and rural areas, among different regions of the country, and by women's educational attainment. Women who are from urban areas or live in the South and those who are better educated want and have fewer children than other women and are more likely to know of and use modem contraception. For example, women in the South are likely to marry and begin childbearing several years later than women in the North. In the North, women continue to follow the traditional pattern and marry early, at a median age of 15, while in the South, women are marrying at a median age of 19 or 20. Teenagers in the North have births at twice the rate of those in the South: 20 births per 1130 women age 15-19 in the North compared to 10 birdas per 100 women in the South. Nearly half of teens in the North have already begun childbearing, versus 14 percent in South. This results in substantially lower total fertility rates in the South: women in the South have, on average, one child less than women in the North (5.5 versus 6.6). The survey also provides information related to maternal and child health. The data indicate that nearly 1 in 5 children dies before their fifth birthday. Of every 1,000 babies born, 87 die during their first year of life (infant mortality rate). There has been little improvement in infant and child mortality during the past 15 years. Mortality is higher in rural than urban areas and higher in the North than in the South. Undemutrition may be a factor contributing to childhood mortality levels: NDHS data show that 43 percent of the children under five are chronically undemourished. These problems are more severe in rural areas and in the North. Preventive and curative health services have yet to reach many women and children. Mothers receive no antenatal care for one-third of births and over 60 percent of all babies arc born at home. Only one-third of births are assisted by doctors, trained nurses or midwives. A third of the infants are never vaccinated, and only 30 percent are fully immunised against childhood diseases. When they are ill, most young children go untreated. For example, only about one-third of children with diarrhoea were given oral rehydration therapy. Women and children living in rural areas and in the North are much less likely than others to benefit from health services. Almost four times as many births in the North are unassisted as in the South, and only one-third as many children complete their polio and DPT vaccinations. Programmes to educate women about the need for antenatal care, immunisation, and proper treatment for sick children should perhaps be aimed at mothers in these areas, Mothers everywhere need to learn about the proper time to introduce various supplementary foods to breastfeeding babies. Nearly all babies are breastfed, however, almost all breastfeeding infants are given water, formula, or other supplements within the first two months of life, which both jeopardises their nutritional status and increases the risk of infection.

This layer shows the average household size in Nigeria in 2023, in a multiscale map (Country, State, and Local Government Area). Nationally, the average household size is 4.5 people per household. It is calculated by dividing the household population by total households.The pop-up is configured to show the following information at each geography level:Average household size (people per household)Total populationTotal householdsCount of population by 15-year age increments The source of this data is Michael Bauer Research. The vintage of the data is 2023. This item was last updated in October, 2023 and is updated every 12-18 months as new annual figures are offered.Additional Esri Resources:Esri DemographicsThis item is for visualization purposes only and cannot be exported or used in analysis.We would love to hear from you. If you have any feedback regarding this item or Esri Demographics, please let us know.Permitted use of this data is covered in the DATA section of the Esri Master Agreement (E204CW) and these supplemental terms.