Nigeria has a population density of 690 people per square mile compared to 139.8 people in South Africa. Nigeria has 42,734 sq ft of land per person vs 205,338 sq ft in South Africa. Nigeria and South Africa rank 41st and 135th 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 0.79% of the population and 0.81% of the land area for South Africa, making the population density in Nigeria 393% higher than in South Africa.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Nigeria
|
South Africa
|
|
| 2026 | 690 | 139.8 |
| 2025 | 676 | 138.3 |
| 2024 | 662 | 136.7 |
| 2023 | 648 | 135 |
| 2022 | 635 | 133.2 |
| 2021 | 621 | 131.3 |
| 2020 | 609 | 129.3 |
| 2019 | 596 | 127.2 |
| 2018 | 583 | 125.1 |
| 2017 | 569 | 123.1 |
| 2016 | 556 | 122.3 |
| 2015 | 542 | 121.1 |
| 2014 | 529 | 118.7 |
| 2013 | 515 | 116.7 |
| 2012 | 501 | 114.8 |
| 2011 | 487 | 113.1 |
| 2010 | 474 | 111.8 |
| 2009 | 461 | 110.4 |
| 2008 | 448 | 109.1 |
| 2007 | 436 | 107.9 |
| 2006 | 424 | 106.7 |
| 2005 | 412 | 105.7 |
| 2004 | 401 | 104.6 |
| 2003 | 390 | 103.5 |
| 2002 | 380 | 102.5 |
| 2001 | 369 | 101.6 |
| 2000 | 359 | 100.7 |
| 1999 | 350 | 99.8 |
| 1998 | 341 | 98.7 |
| 1997 | 332 | 97.5 |
| 1996 | 323 | 96.3 |
| 1995 | 315 | 95.1 |
| 1994 | 307 | 94 |
| 1993 | 298.9 | 92.4 |
| 1992 | 291.1 | 90.6 |
| 1991 | 283.6 | 89 |
| 1990 | 276.2 | 87 |
| 1989 | 268.8 | 84.6 |
| 1988 | 261.7 | 82.2 |
| 1987 | 254.8 | 79.7 |
| 1986 | 248.1 | 77.2 |
| 1985 | 241.4 | 74.8 |
| 1984 | 234.7 | 72.4 |
| 1983 | 228.7 | 69.9 |
| 1982 | 222.9 | 67.5 |
| 1981 | 216.3 | 65.2 |
| 1980 | 209.8 | 63 |
| 1979 | 203.3 | 61.1 |
| 1978 | 197.1 | 59.5 |
| 1977 | 191.2 | 57.9 |
| 1976 | 185.6 | 56.4 |
| 1975 | 180.3 | 54.9 |
| 1974 | 175.4 | 53.4 |
| 1973 | 170.9 | 51.9 |
| 1972 | 166.6 | 50.4 |
| 1971 | 162.7 | 49 |
| 1970 | 158.9 | 47.6 |
| 1969 | 155.4 | 46.1 |
| 1968 | 151.9 | 44.7 |
| 1967 | 148.7 | 43.4 |
| 1966 | 145.6 | 42 |
| 1965 | 142.4 | 40.8 |
| 1964 | 139.4 | 39.5 |
| 1963 | 136.4 | 38.3 |
| 1962 | 133.6 | 37.2 |
| 1961 | 130.8 | 36.1 |
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/south-africa | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Nigeria increased by 62.7%, compared to a 31% growth in South Africa.
In 2006, Nigeria ranked 53rd by population density and is 41st now. South Africa was 134th in 2006 and ranks 135th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Nigeria
|
South Africa
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 690 ppl/mi² | 139.8 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 41/197 | 135/197 |
| Population |
243824469
|
65683993
|
| Land area | 351,650 sq mi | 468,377 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 42,133 sq ft | 204,002 sq ft |
| Rural population | 37% | 36.3% |
| Urban population | 63% | 63.7% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 13.8% | 15% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
South Africa
|
|
| 2024 | 63% | 63.7% |
| 2023 | 62.2% | 63.6% |
| 2022 | 61.4% | 63.5% |
| 2021 | 60.6% | 63.5% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | 63.4% |
| 2019 | 59% | 63.4% |
| 2018 | 58.2% | 63.4% |
| 2017 | 57.3% | 63.3% |
| 2016 | 56.5% | 63.3% |
| 2015 | 55.7% | 63.2% |
| 2014 | 54.9% | 63.1% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | 63.1% |
| 2012 | 53.3% | 63% |
| 2011 | 52.5% | 62.9% |
| 2010 | 51.7% | 62.6% |
| 2009 | 50.9% | 62.3% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | 61.8% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | 61.2% |
| 2006 | 48.4% | 60.5% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | 59.8% |
| 2004 | 46.7% | 59.1% |
| 2003 | 45.8% | 58.4% |
| 2002 | 45% | 57.7% |
| 2001 | 44.1% | 57% |
| 2000 | 43.3% | 56.3% |
| 1999 | 42.4% | 55.4% |
| 1998 | 41.6% | 54.7% |
| 1997 | 40.8% | 54% |
| 1996 | 40% | 53.6% |
| 1995 | 39.1% | 53.3% |
| 1994 | 38.3% | 53.1% |
| 1993 | 37.5% | 52.9% |
| 1992 | 36.7% | 52.7% |
| 1991 | 36% | 52.4% |
| 1990 | 35.2% | 52% |
| 1989 | 34.4% | 51.4% |
| 1988 | 33.6% | 50.7% |
| 1987 | 32.8% | 50.1% |
| 1986 | 32.1% | 49.6% |
| 1985 | 31.3% | 49.2% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | 49% |
| 1983 | 29.7% | 48.8% |
| 1982 | 28.9% | 48.6% |
| 1981 | 28.2% | 48.5% |
| 1980 | 27.4% | 48.4% |
| 1979 | 26.7% | 48.3% |
| 1978 | 25.9% | 48.2% |
| 1977 | 25.2% | 48.2% |
| 1976 | 24.4% | 48.1% |
| 1975 | 23.7% | 48.1% |
| 1974 | 23% | 48% |
| 1973 | 22.3% | 48% |
| 1972 | 21.6% | 47.9% |
| 1971 | 20.9% | 47.8% |
| 1970 | 20.2% | 47.8% |
| 1969 | 19.6% | 47.7% |
| 1968 | 18.9% | 47.6% |
| 1967 | 18.3% | 47.5% |
| 1966 | 17.7% | 47.5% |
| 1965 | 17.1% | 47.4% |
| 1964 | 16.5% | 47.3% |
| 1963 | 15.9% | 47.1% |
| 1962 | 15.4% | 47% |
| 1961 | 14.8% | 46.9% |
| 1960 | 14.2% | 46.7% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/nigeria/south-africa | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 46.7% to 63% in Nigeria and from 59.1% to 63.7% in South Africa.
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 |
|
South Africa
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Johannesburg | 4.8M |
| Cape Town | 3.78M |
| Soweto | 1.27M |
| Pietermaritzburg | 839K |
| Pretoria | 742K |
| Durban | 595K |
| Rustenburg | 550K |
| Randburg | 337K |
| Port Elizabeth | 312K |
| East London | 267K |
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/south-africa | CC BY
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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)
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