Nigeria has a population density of 690 people per square mile compared to 928 people in Sri Lanka. Nigeria has 42,734 sq ft of land per person vs 32,224 sq ft in Sri Lanka. Nigeria and Sri Lanka rank 41st and 25th 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 0.27% of the population and 0.04% of the land area for Sri Lanka, making the population density in Nigeria 25.7% lower than in Sri Lanka.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Nigeria
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2026 | 690 | 928 |
| 2025 | 676 | 923 |
| 2024 | 662 | 918 |
| 2023 | 648 | 923 |
| 2022 | 635 | 929 |
| 2021 | 621 | 928 |
| 2020 | 609 | 918 |
| 2019 | 596 | 913 |
| 2018 | 583 | 907 |
| 2017 | 569 | 898 |
| 2016 | 556 | 888 |
| 2015 | 542 | 878 |
| 2014 | 529 | 858 |
| 2013 | 515 | 850 |
| 2012 | 501 | 874 |
| 2011 | 487 | 868 |
| 2010 | 474 | 862 |
| 2009 | 461 | 857 |
| 2008 | 448 | 852 |
| 2007 | 436 | 846 |
| 2006 | 424 | 841 |
| 2005 | 412 | 835 |
| 2004 | 401 | 830 |
| 2003 | 390 | 824 |
| 2002 | 380 | 818 |
| 2001 | 369 | 810 |
| 2000 | 359 | 797 |
| 1999 | 350 | 782 |
| 1998 | 341 | 768 |
| 1997 | 332 | 754 |
| 1996 | 323 | 739 |
| 1995 | 315 | 725 |
| 1994 | 307 | 714 |
| 1993 | 298.9 | 703 |
| 1992 | 291.1 | 691 |
| 1991 | 283.6 | 680 |
| 1990 | 276.2 | 675 |
| 1989 | 268.8 | 671 |
| 1988 | 261.7 | 664 |
| 1987 | 254.8 | 657 |
| 1986 | 248.1 | 650 |
| 1985 | 241.4 | 642 |
| 1984 | 234.7 | 638 |
| 1983 | 228.7 | 636 |
| 1982 | 222.9 | 631 |
| 1981 | 216.3 | 624 |
| 1980 | 209.8 | 613 |
| 1979 | 203.3 | 602 |
| 1978 | 197.1 | 591 |
| 1977 | 191.2 | 580 |
| 1976 | 185.6 | 570 |
| 1975 | 180.3 | 560 |
| 1974 | 175.4 | 550 |
| 1973 | 170.9 | 539 |
| 1972 | 166.6 | 529 |
| 1971 | 162.7 | 518 |
| 1970 | 158.9 | 507 |
| 1969 | 155.4 | 496 |
| 1968 | 151.9 | 485 |
| 1967 | 148.7 | 473 |
| 1966 | 145.6 | 462 |
| 1965 | 142.4 | 451 |
| 1964 | 139.4 | 440 |
| 1963 | 136.4 | 429 |
| 1962 | 133.6 | 419 |
| 1961 | 130.8 | 409 |
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/sri-lanka | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Nigeria increased by 62.7%, compared to a 10.4% growth in Sri Lanka.
In 2006, Nigeria ranked 53rd by population density and is 41st now. Sri Lanka was 25th in 2006 and still ranks 25th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Nigeria
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 690 ppl/mi² | 928 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 41/197 | 25/197 |
| Population |
243824469
|
22185425
|
| Land area | 351,650 sq mi | 23,884 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 42,133 sq ft | 30,382 sq ft |
| Rural population | 37% | 79.7% |
| Urban population | 63% | 20.3% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 13.8% | 0% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
| 2024 | 63% | 20.3% |
| 2023 | 62.2% | 20.1% |
| 2022 | 61.4% | 20% |
| 2021 | 60.6% | 19.8% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | 19.7% |
| 2019 | 59% | 19.5% |
| 2018 | 58.2% | 19.3% |
| 2017 | 57.3% | 19.2% |
| 2016 | 56.5% | 19% |
| 2015 | 55.7% | 18.8% |
| 2014 | 54.9% | 18.6% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | 18.4% |
| 2012 | 53.3% | 18.3% |
| 2011 | 52.5% | 17.8% |
| 2010 | 51.7% | 17.2% |
| 2009 | 50.9% | 16.7% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | 16.3% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | 15.9% |
| 2006 | 48.4% | 15.5% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | 15.2% |
| 2004 | 46.7% | 14.9% |
| 2003 | 45.8% | 14.7% |
| 2002 | 45% | 14.6% |
| 2001 | 44.1% | 14.6% |
| 2000 | 43.3% | 14.6% |
| 1999 | 42.4% | 14.7% |
| 1998 | 41.6% | 14.9% |
| 1997 | 40.8% | 15.2% |
| 1996 | 40% | 15.5% |
| 1995 | 39.1% | 15.9% |
| 1994 | 38.3% | 16.3% |
| 1993 | 37.5% | 16.7% |
| 1992 | 36.7% | 17.1% |
| 1991 | 36% | 17.6% |
| 1990 | 35.2% | 18.1% |
| 1989 | 34.4% | 18.6% |
| 1988 | 33.6% | 19% |
| 1987 | 32.8% | 19.5% |
| 1986 | 32.1% | 19.9% |
| 1985 | 31.3% | 20.3% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | 20.7% |
| 1983 | 29.7% | 21% |
| 1982 | 28.9% | 21.3% |
| 1981 | 28.2% | 21.5% |
| 1980 | 27.4% | 21.6% |
| 1979 | 26.7% | 21.8% |
| 1978 | 25.9% | 21.9% |
| 1977 | 25.2% | 22% |
| 1976 | 24.4% | 22.1% |
| 1975 | 23.7% | 22.2% |
| 1974 | 23% | 22.3% |
| 1973 | 22.3% | 22.4% |
| 1972 | 21.6% | 22.4% |
| 1971 | 20.9% | 22.4% |
| 1970 | 20.2% | 22.3% |
| 1969 | 19.6% | 22% |
| 1968 | 18.9% | 21.5% |
| 1967 | 18.3% | 21% |
| 1966 | 17.7% | 20.4% |
| 1965 | 17.1% | 19.8% |
| 1964 | 16.5% | 19.3% |
| 1963 | 15.9% | 18.9% |
| 1962 | 15.4% | 18.5% |
| 1961 | 14.8% | 18% |
| 1960 | 14.2% | 17.6% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/nigeria/sri-lanka | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 46.7% to 63% in Nigeria and from 14.9% to 20.3% in Sri Lanka.
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 |
|
Sri Lanka
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| Colombo | 648K |
| Gampaha | 191K |
| Beruwala | 165K |
| Negombo | 142K |
| Kandy | 120K |
| Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte | 116K |
| Trincomalee | 99.1K |
| Galle | 93.1K |
| Matara | 68.2K |
| Anuradhapura | 63.2K |
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/sri-lanka | 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 (2001–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08)
- Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20)
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