Nigeria has a population density of 690 people per square mile compared to 871 people in Pakistan. Nigeria has 42,734 sq ft of land per person vs 37,780 sq ft in Pakistan. Nigeria and Pakistan rank 41st and 29th by population density, respectively.
Population density is calculated as the ratio of population to land area. Nigeria has 2.86% of the world's population and 0.61% of all countries' land area, compared to 3.09% of the population and 0.52% of the land area for Pakistan, making the population density in Nigeria 20.8% lower than in Pakistan.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Nigeria
|
Pakistan
|
|
| 2026 | 690 | 871 |
| 2025 | 676 | 857 |
| 2024 | 662 | 844 |
| 2023 | 648 | 832 |
| 2022 | 635 | 819 |
| 2021 | 621 | 805 |
| 2020 | 609 | 790 |
| 2019 | 596 | 775 |
| 2018 | 583 | 762 |
| 2017 | 569 | 750 |
| 2016 | 556 | 740 |
| 2015 | 542 | 730 |
| 2014 | 529 | 720 |
| 2013 | 515 | 709 |
| 2012 | 501 | 698 |
| 2011 | 487 | 685 |
| 2010 | 474 | 669 |
| 2009 | 461 | 653 |
| 2008 | 448 | 637 |
| 2007 | 436 | 620 |
| 2006 | 424 | 604 |
| 2005 | 412 | 589 |
| 2004 | 401 | 575 |
| 2003 | 390 | 561 |
| 2002 | 380 | 548 |
| 2001 | 369 | 535 |
| 2000 | 359 | 520 |
| 1999 | 350 | 506 |
| 1998 | 341 | 492 |
| 1997 | 332 | 479 |
| 1996 | 323 | 466 |
| 1995 | 315 | 452 |
| 1994 | 307 | 439 |
| 1993 | 298.9 | 427 |
| 1992 | 291.1 | 415 |
| 1991 | 283.6 | 403 |
| 1990 | 276.2 | 390 |
| 1989 | 268.8 | 377 |
| 1988 | 261.7 | 365 |
| 1987 | 254.8 | 353 |
| 1986 | 248.1 | 341 |
| 1985 | 241.4 | 330 |
| 1984 | 234.7 | 320 |
| 1983 | 228.7 | 310 |
| 1982 | 222.9 | 299.3 |
| 1981 | 216.3 | 288.3 |
| 1980 | 209.8 | 276.5 |
| 1979 | 203.3 | 265.4 |
| 1978 | 197.1 | 256.4 |
| 1977 | 191.2 | 248.3 |
| 1976 | 185.6 | 240.6 |
| 1975 | 180.3 | 233.4 |
| 1974 | 175.4 | 226.5 |
| 1973 | 170.9 | 219.9 |
| 1972 | 166.6 | 213.6 |
| 1971 | 162.7 | 207.8 |
| 1970 | 158.9 | 202.1 |
| 1969 | 155.4 | 196.4 |
| 1968 | 151.9 | 190.9 |
| 1967 | 148.7 | 185.5 |
| 1966 | 145.6 | 180.3 |
| 1965 | 142.4 | 175.4 |
| 1964 | 139.4 | 170.7 |
| 1963 | 136.4 | 166.1 |
| 1962 | 133.6 | 161.8 |
| 1961 | 130.8 | 157.6 |
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/nigeria/pakistan | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Nigeria increased by 62.7%, compared to a 44.3% growth in Pakistan.
In 2006, Nigeria ranked 53rd by population density and is 41st now. Pakistan was 38th in 2006 and ranks 29th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Nigeria
|
Pakistan
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 690 ppl/mi² | 871 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 41/197 | 29/197 |
| Population |
243824469
|
260356147
|
| Land area | 351,650 sq mi | 297,638 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 42,133 sq ft | 33,023 sq ft |
| Rural population | 37% | 60.8% |
| Urban population | 63% | 39.2% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 13.8% | 15.7% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
Pakistan
|
|
| 2024 | 63% | 39.2% |
| 2023 | 62.2% | 38.8% |
| 2022 | 61.4% | 38.4% |
| 2021 | 60.6% | 37.9% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | 37.5% |
| 2019 | 59% | 37.1% |
| 2018 | 58.2% | 36.7% |
| 2017 | 57.3% | 36.4% |
| 2016 | 56.5% | 36.2% |
| 2015 | 55.7% | 35.9% |
| 2014 | 54.9% | 35.7% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | 35.4% |
| 2012 | 53.3% | 35.2% |
| 2011 | 52.5% | 35% |
| 2010 | 51.7% | 34.8% |
| 2009 | 50.9% | 34.6% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | 34.4% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | 34.3% |
| 2006 | 48.4% | 34.1% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | 33.9% |
| 2004 | 46.7% | 33.7% |
| 2003 | 45.8% | 33.6% |
| 2002 | 45% | 33.4% |
| 2001 | 44.1% | 33.2% |
| 2000 | 43.3% | 33% |
| 1999 | 42.4% | 32.8% |
| 1998 | 41.6% | 32.6% |
| 1997 | 40.8% | 32.4% |
| 1996 | 40% | 32.1% |
| 1995 | 39.1% | 31.9% |
| 1994 | 38.3% | 31.7% |
| 1993 | 37.5% | 31.5% |
| 1992 | 36.7% | 31.2% |
| 1991 | 36% | 31% |
| 1990 | 35.2% | 30.8% |
| 1989 | 34.4% | 30.5% |
| 1988 | 33.6% | 30.3% |
| 1987 | 32.8% | 30% |
| 1986 | 32.1% | 29.8% |
| 1985 | 31.3% | 29.5% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | 29.2% |
| 1983 | 29.7% | 29% |
| 1982 | 28.9% | 28.7% |
| 1981 | 28.2% | 28.4% |
| 1980 | 27.4% | 28.1% |
| 1979 | 26.7% | 27.8% |
| 1978 | 25.9% | 27.4% |
| 1977 | 25.2% | 27.1% |
| 1976 | 24.4% | 26.7% |
| 1975 | 23.7% | 26.3% |
| 1974 | 23% | 26% |
| 1973 | 22.3% | 25.6% |
| 1972 | 21.6% | 25.3% |
| 1971 | 20.9% | 25.1% |
| 1970 | 20.2% | 24.8% |
| 1969 | 19.6% | 24.6% |
| 1968 | 18.9% | 24.4% |
| 1967 | 18.3% | 24.1% |
| 1966 | 17.7% | 23.9% |
| 1965 | 17.1% | 23.7% |
| 1964 | 16.5% | 23.5% |
| 1963 | 15.9% | 23.2% |
| 1962 | 15.4% | 22.9% |
| 1961 | 14.8% | 22.6% |
| 1960 | 14.2% | 22.3% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/nigeria/pakistan | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 46.7% to 63% in Nigeria and from 33.7% to 39.2% in Pakistan.
Densely populated cities
|
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 |
|
Pakistan
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Karachi | 14.9M |
| Lahore | 11.1M |
| Faisalabad | 3.2M |
| Rawalpindi | 2.1M |
| Gujranwala | 2.03M |
| Peshawar | 1.97M |
| Multan | 1.87M |
| Hyderabad | 1.73M |
| Islamabad | 1.01M |
| Quetta | 1M |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
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/nigeria/pakistan | 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:
- 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)
- Wikidata (2006–2024, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- 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.