Skip to content

Population density: Brazil vs Nigeria compared

Updated on by Georank team

Brazil has a population density of 66.2 people per square mile compared to 690 people in Nigeria. Brazil has 432,375 sq ft of land per person vs 42,734 sq ft in Nigeria. Brazil and Nigeria rank 164th and 41st by population density, respectively.

Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Brazil has 2.61% of the world's population and 5.61% of all countries' land area, compared to 2.86% of the population and 0.61% of the land area for Nigeria, making the population density in Brazil 90.4% lower than in Nigeria.

Population density by year

Brazil
Nigeria

people per square mile

1x
Year Population density
Brazil Nigeria
2026 66.2 690
2025 66 676
2024 65.7 662
2023 65.4 648
2022 65.2 635
2021 64.9 621
2020 64.7 609
2019 64.3 596
2018 63.9 583
2017 63.4 569
2016 63 556
2015 62.5 542
2014 62 529
2013 61.5 515
2012 61 501
2011 60.5 487
2010 60 474
2009 59.5 461
2008 59 448
2007 58.4 436
2006 57.8 424
2005 57.2 412
2004 56.6 401
2003 56 390
2002 55.3 380
2001 54.6 369
2000 53.9 359
1999 53.2 350
1998 52.4 341
1997 51.6 332
1996 50.9 323
1995 50.1 315
1994 49.4 307
1993 48.6 298.9
1992 47.8 291.1
1991 47 283.6
1990 46.2 276.2
1989 45.4 268.8
1988 44.6 261.7
1987 43.7 254.8
1986 42.9 248.1
1985 42 241.4
1984 41.1 234.7
1983 40.2 228.7
1982 39.3 222.9
1981 38.4 216.3
1980 37.6 209.8
1979 36.7 203.3
1978 35.8 197.1
1977 35 191.2
1976 34.2 185.6
1975 33.3 180.3
1974 32.6 175.4
1973 31.8 170.9
1972 31 166.6
1971 30.3 162.7
1970 29.6 158.9
1969 28.8 155.4
1968 28.1 151.9
1967 27.4 148.7
1966 26.7 145.6
1965 26 142.4
1964 25.3 139.4
1963 24.5 136.4
1962 23.8 133.6
1961 23.1 130.8

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10).

GeoRank.org/population-density/brazil/nigeria | CC BY

From 2006 to 2026, population density in Brazil increased by 14.5%, compared to a 62.7% growth in Nigeria.

In 2006, Brazil ranked 154th by population density and is 164th now. Nigeria was 53rd in 2006 and ranks 41st out of 197 currently.

Share of urban population by year

Brazil
Nigeria
1x
Year Urban population
Brazil Nigeria
2024 87.9% 63%
2023 87.6% 62.2%
2022 87.3% 61.4%
2021 87.1% 60.6%
2020 86.9% 59.8%
2019 86.7% 59%
2018 86.4% 58.2%
2017 86.2% 57.3%
2016 85.9% 56.5%
2015 85.7% 55.7%
2014 85.4% 54.9%
2013 85.2% 54.1%
2012 84.9% 53.3%
2011 84.6% 52.5%
2010 84.3% 51.7%
2009 84.1% 50.9%
2008 83.8% 50.1%
2007 83.5% 49.2%
2006 83.3% 48.4%
2005 83% 47.6%
2004 82.7% 46.7%
2003 82.4% 45.8%
2002 82% 45%
2001 81.6% 44.1%
2000 81.1% 43.3%
1999 80.5% 42.4%
1998 79.8% 41.6%
1997 79% 40.8%
1996 78.3% 40%
1995 77.7% 39.1%
1994 77.2% 38.3%
1993 76.6% 37.5%
1992 76.1% 36.7%
1991 75.5% 36%
1990 74.9% 35.2%
1989 74.2% 34.4%
1988 73.6% 33.6%
1987 73% 32.8%
1986 72.3% 32.1%
1985 71.6% 31.3%
1984 70.9% 30.5%
1983 70.1% 29.7%
1982 69.3% 28.9%
1981 68.4% 28.2%
1980 67.4% 27.4%
1979 66.3% 26.7%
1978 65% 25.9%
1977 63.5% 25.2%
1976 61.9% 24.4%
1975 60.3% 23.7%
1974 58.7% 23%
1973 57.1% 22.3%
1972 55.7% 21.6%
1971 54.3% 20.9%
1970 53.2% 20.2%
1969 52.2% 19.6%
1968 51.2% 18.9%
1967 50.3% 18.3%
1966 49.5% 17.7%
1965 48.7% 17.1%
1964 47.9% 16.5%
1963 47.1% 15.9%
1962 46.3% 15.4%
1961 45.5% 14.8%
1960 44.7% 14.2%

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population-density/brazil/nigeria | CC BY

From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 82.7% to 87.9% in Brazil and from 46.7% to 63% in Nigeria.

Densely populated cities

Brazil
City Population
Sao Paulo 11.5M
Rio de Janeiro 6.21M
Brasilia 3M
Fortaleza 2.58M
Salvador 2.42M
Belo Horizonte 2.32M
Manaus 2.3M
Curitiba 1.77M
Recife 1.49M
Goiania 1.44M
Nigeria
City Population
Lagos 15.1M
Kano 4.35M
Port Harcourt 3.32M
Ibadan 2.55M
Benin 1.78M
Abuja 1.69M
Onitsha 1.48M
Maiduguri 1.2M
Aba 1.16M
Enugu 1.03M

Compare countries by 7 more topics

Population density in other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population-density/brazil/nigeria | CC BY

Help us show the world through your eyes

Share a photo of your city and help others discover what it looks like to live there. Your contribution makes our data come alive.

Data sources:

  1. World Bank | Agriculture & Rural Development (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-04-06)
  2. United Nations | World Population Prospects (1961–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10)
  3. U.S. Census Bureau (1961–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  4. Wikidata (2006–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
  5. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)

Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) — you’re free to copy, share, remix, adapt, and use even commercially as long as you give appropriate credit and clearly indicate if you made changes. Other sources may be subject to different license terms.