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.

The total population in Nigeria was estimated at 232.7 million people in 2024, 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'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.

Actual value and historical data chart for Nigeria Population Total

The total population of Nigeria was estimated at 232.68 million people in 2024. Following a continuous upward trend, the total population has risen by 159.26 million people since 1980. Between 2024 and 2030, the total population will rise by 30.98 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.

Rural population (% of total population) in Nigeria was reported at 44.97 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November 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.

Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) in Nigeria was reported at 41.01 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Population ages 0-14 (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

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.

In 2022, Nigeria's population was estimated at around *** million individuals. Demographic projections show that the Nigerian population might experience a constant increase in the next decades. By 2050, it is forecast that the population will grow to over *** million people compared to 2022.

Graph and download economic data for Population, Total for Nigeria (POPTOTNGA647NWDB) from 1960 to 2024 about Nigeria and population.

Abstract

The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2024 NDHS) was implemented by the National Population Commission (NPC) under the aegis of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW). Data collection was conducted from 1 December 2023 to 7 May 2024.

The primary objective of the 2024 NDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the survey collected information on fertility and contraceptive use; maternal and child health; nutrition; childhood mortality; women’s empowerment; domestic violence; female genital mutilation (FGM); fistula; disability; knowledge, awareness, and behavior regarding malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and other health-related issues.

The information collected through the 2024 NDHS is intended to assist policymakers and programme managers in evaluating and designing programmes and strategies for improving the health of Nigeria’s population. The survey also provides indicators relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Nigeria.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

• Household
• Individual
• Children age 0-5
• Woman age 15-49
• Man age 15 to 59

Universe

The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49, all men age 15-59, and all children aged 0-4 resident in the household.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The sample for the 2024 NDHS was designed to yield representative results for the country as a whole, for urban and rural areas separately, for all six zones, and for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The sampling frame excluded institutional populations such as persons in hotels, barracks, and prisons. The 2024 NDHS employed a stratified two-stage sample design. Stratification was achieved by separating each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory into urban and rural areas. In total, 74 sampling strata were identified. Samples were selected independently in every stratum via a two-stage selection. The first stage involved selecting sample points (clusters) consisting of EAs. EAs were drawn with probability proportional to their size within each sampling stratum. A total of 1,400 clusters were selected, 701 in urban areas and 699 in rural areas.

The second stage involved systematic sampling of households. A household listing operation was undertaken in all of the selected clusters, and a fixed number of 30 households per cluster were selected through an equal probability systematic selection process, for a total sample size of approximately 42,000 households. For each household, Global Positioning System (GPS) data were collected at the time of listing and during interviews.

For further details on sample design, see APPENDIX A of the final report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face computer-assisted interviews [capi]

Research instrument

Four questionnaires were used in the 2024 NDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire, the Man’s Questionnaire, and the Biomarker Questionnaire. The questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s model questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Nigeria. Input was solicited from various stakeholders representing government ministries and agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and international donors. In addition, a self-administered Fieldworker Questionnaire collected information about the survey’s fieldworkers.

Cleaning operations

The survey data were collected using tablet computers running the Android operating system and CSPro software, jointly developed by the United States Census Bureau, ICF, and Serpro S.A. English, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo questionnaires were used for collecting data via CAPI. The CAPI programmes accepted only valid responses, automatically performed checks on ranges of values, skipped to the appropriate question based on the responses given, and checked the consistency of the data collected. Answers to the survey questions were entered into the tablets by each interviewer. Supervisors downloaded interview data to their tablet, checked the data for completeness, and monitored fieldwork progress.

Each day, after completion of interviews, field supervisors submitted data to the central server. Data were sent to the central office via secure internet data transfer. The data processing managers monitored the quality of the data received and downloaded data files for completed clusters into the system. ICF provided the CSPro software for data processing and offered technical assistance in the preparation of the data capture, data management, and data editing programmes. Secondary editing was conducted simultaneously with data collection. All technical support for data processing and use of the tablets was provided by ICF.

Response rate

A total of 41,115 households were selected for the NDHS sample, of which 40,314 were found to be occupied. Of the occupied households, 40,047 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99%. In the interviewed households, 39,553 women age 15–49 were identified as eligible for individual interviews. Interviews were completed with 39,050 women, yielding a response rate of 99%. In the subsample of households selected for the men’s survey, 12,426 men age 15–59 were identified as eligible for individual interviews and 12,204 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 98%.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: non-sampling errors and sampling errors. Non-sampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2024 NDHS) to minimize this type of error, non-sampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the 2024 NDHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and sample size. Each of these samples would yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability among all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.

Sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall within a range of plus and minus two times the standard error of that statistic in 95% of all possible samples of identical size and design.

If the sample of respondents had been selected by simple random sampling, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the 2024 NDHS sample was the result of a multistage stratified cluster design, and, consequently, it was necessary to use more complex formulas. Sampling errors are computed using SAS programmes developed by ICF. These programmes use the Taylor linearization method to estimate variances for survey estimates that are means, medians, proportions, or ratios. The Jackknife repeated replication method is used for variance estimation of more complex statistics such as fertility rates and mortality rates.

A more detailed description of estimates of sampling errors are presented in APPENDIX B of the survey report.

Data appraisal

Data Quality Tables - Household age distribution - Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women - Age distribution of eligible and interviewed men - Age displacement at ages 14/15 - Age displacement at ages 49/50 - Pregnancy outcomes by years preceding the survey - Completeness of reporting - Standardization exercise results from anthropometry training - Height and weight data completeness and quality for children - Height measurements from random subsample of measured children - Interference in height and weight measurements of children - Interference in height and weight measurements of women - Heaping in anthropometric measurements for children (digit preference) - Observation of mosquito nets - Observation of handwashing facility - School attendance by single year of age - Vaccination cards photographed - Number of enumeration areas completed by month and zone - Prevalence of anaemia in children based on 2011 WHO guidelines - Prevalence of anaemia in women based on 2011 WHO guidelines

See details of the data quality tables in Appendix C of the final report.

Actual value and historical data chart for Nigeria Population Male

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 Chad, South Sudan, Somalia, and the Central African Republic, the population increase peaks at over 3.4 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. African cities are also growing at large rates. Indeed, the continent has three megacities and is expected to add four more by 2050. Furthermore, Africa's fastest-growing cities are forecast to be Bujumbura, in Burundi, and Zinder, Nigeria, by 2035.

Nigeria: Population ages 65 and above, percent of total: The latest value from 2024 is 3.05 percent, an increase from 3.03 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 10.43 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 1960 to 2024 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.

Population, male (% of total population) in Nigeria was reported at 50.57 % in 2024, 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 October of 2025.

Graph and download economic data for Population Growth for Nigeria (SPPOPGROWNGA) from 1961 to 2024 about Nigeria, population, and rate.

Complete population data for Nigeria showing how many people live in Nigeria from 1960 to 2024

Actual value and historical data chart for Nigeria Population Female

Nigeria NG: Population: Male: Ages 20-24: % of Male Population data was reported at 8.656 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 8.647 % for 2016. Nigeria NG: Population: Male: Ages 20-24: % of Male Population data is updated yearly, averaging 8.765 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9.302 % in 2003 and a record low of 8.325 % in 1988. Nigeria NG: Population: Male: Ages 20-24: % of Male 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. Male population between the ages 20 to 24 as a percentage of the total male population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; ;