Nigeria has a population density of 662 people per square mile compared to 136.7 people in South Africa. Nigeria has 42,734 sq ft of land per person vs 205,338 sq ft in South Africa. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Nigeria and South Africa are ranked 43rd and 136th, 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 the land area of all countries, compared to 0.79% of the population and 0.81% of the land area for South Africa, hence the population density in Nigeria is 384% higher than in South Africa.
Population density comparison
Nigeria
|
South Africa
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 662 ppl/mi² | 136.7 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 43/197 | 136/197 |
| Population |
241467099
|
65314246
|
| Land area | 351,650 sq mi | 468,377 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 42,133 sq ft | 204,002 sq ft |
| Rural population | 45% | 30.7% |
| Urban population | 55% | 69.3% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 14.5% | 14.8% |
Nigeria vs South Africa:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Nigeria increased by 65%, compared to a 30.6% growth in South Africa.
In 2004, Nigeria ranked 53rd for population density and is in 43rd place now. South Africa was 132nd in 2004 and ranks 136th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
South Africa
|
|
| 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 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
South Africa
|
|
| 2024 | 55% | 69.3% |
| 2023 | 54.3% | 68.8% |
| 2022 | 53.5% | 68.3% |
| 2021 | 52.7% | 67.8% |
| 2020 | 52% | 67.4% |
| 2019 | 51.2% | 66.9% |
| 2018 | 50.3% | 66.4% |
| 2017 | 49.5% | 65.8% |
| 2016 | 48.7% | 65.3% |
| 2015 | 47.8% | 64.8% |
| 2014 | 47% | 64.3% |
| 2013 | 46.1% | 63.8% |
| 2012 | 45.2% | 63.3% |
| 2011 | 44.4% | 62.7% |
| 2010 | 43.5% | 62.2% |
| 2009 | 42.6% | 61.7% |
| 2008 | 41.7% | 61.2% |
| 2007 | 40.8% | 60.6% |
| 2006 | 39.9% | 60.1% |
| 2005 | 39.1% | 59.5% |
| 2004 | 38.2% | 59% |
| 2003 | 37.4% | 58.4% |
| 2002 | 36.5% | 57.9% |
| 2001 | 35.7% | 57.4% |
| 2000 | 34.8% | 56.9% |
| 1999 | 34.3% | 56.4% |
| 1998 | 33.8% | 55.9% |
| 1997 | 33.2% | 55.4% |
| 1996 | 32.7% | 55% |
| 1995 | 32.2% | 54.5% |
| 1994 | 31.7% | 54% |
| 1993 | 31.2% | 53.5% |
| 1992 | 30.7% | 53% |
| 1991 | 30.2% | 52.6% |
| 1990 | 29.7% | 52% |
| 1989 | 28.8% | 51.5% |
| 1988 | 28% | 51% |
| 1987 | 27.2% | 50.4% |
| 1986 | 26.4% | 49.9% |
| 1985 | 25.6% | 49.4% |
| 1984 | 24.9% | 49.1% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | 48.9% |
| 1982 | 23.4% | 48.8% |
| 1981 | 22.7% | 48.6% |
| 1980 | 22% | 48.4% |
| 1979 | 21.5% | 48.3% |
| 1978 | 21.1% | 48.3% |
| 1977 | 20.6% | 48.2% |
| 1976 | 20.2% | 48.2% |
| 1975 | 19.8% | 48.1% |
| 1974 | 19.4% | 48% |
| 1973 | 19% | 48% |
| 1972 | 18.5% | 47.9% |
| 1971 | 18.2% | 47.9% |
| 1970 | 17.8% | 47.8% |
| 1969 | 17.5% | 47.7% |
| 1968 | 17.3% | 47.6% |
| 1967 | 17% | 47.5% |
| 1966 | 16.8% | 47.4% |
| 1965 | 16.6% | 47.2% |
| 1964 | 16.3% | 47.1% |
| 1963 | 16.1% | 47% |
| 1962 | 15.9% | 46.9% |
| 1961 | 15.6% | 46.8% |
| 1960 | 15.4% | 46.6% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 38.2% to 55% in Nigeria and from 59% to 69.3% 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 | 4.43M |
| 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
people per square mile
Population density
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comparisons:
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