Nigeria has a population density of 662 people per square mile compared to 741 people in the United Kingdom. Nigeria has 42,734 sq ft of land per person vs 37,705 sq ft in the United Kingdom. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Nigeria and the United Kingdom are ranked 43rd and 35th, 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 0.85% of the population and 0.16% of the land area for the United Kingdom, hence the population density in Nigeria is 10.7% lower than in the United Kingdom.
Population density comparison
Nigeria
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 662 ppl/mi² | 741 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 43/197 | 35/197 |
| Population |
241467099
|
69945462
|
| Land area | 351,650 sq mi | 93,410 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 42,133 sq ft | 37,618 sq ft |
| Rural population | 45% | 15.1% |
| Urban population | 55% | 84.9% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 14.5% | 14.4% |
Nigeria vs the United Kingdom:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Nigeria increased by 65%, compared to a 15.4% growth in the United Kingdom.
In 2004, Nigeria ranked 53rd for population density and is in 43rd place now. The United Kingdom was 35th in 2004 and still ranks 35th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2024 | 662 | 741 |
| 2023 | 648 | 733 |
| 2022 | 635 | 724 |
| 2021 | 621 | 717 |
| 2020 | 609 | 715 |
| 2019 | 596 | 713 |
| 2018 | 583 | 710 |
| 2017 | 569 | 706 |
| 2016 | 556 | 702 |
| 2015 | 542 | 697 |
| 2014 | 529 | 692 |
| 2013 | 515 | 687 |
| 2012 | 501 | 682 |
| 2011 | 487 | 677 |
| 2010 | 474 | 672 |
| 2009 | 461 | 667 |
| 2008 | 448 | 662 |
| 2007 | 436 | 656 |
| 2006 | 424 | 651 |
| 2005 | 412 | 647 |
| 2004 | 401 | 642 |
| 2003 | 390 | 639 |
| 2002 | 380 | 636 |
| 2001 | 369 | 633 |
| 2000 | 359 | 630 |
| 1999 | 350 | 628 |
| 1998 | 341 | 626 |
| 1997 | 332 | 624 |
| 1996 | 323 | 623 |
| 1995 | 315 | 621 |
| 1994 | 307 | 619 |
| 1993 | 298.9 | 618 |
| 1992 | 291.1 | 616 |
| 1991 | 283.6 | 615 |
| 1990 | 276.2 | 613 |
| 1989 | 268.8 | 611 |
| 1988 | 261.7 | 609 |
| 1987 | 254.8 | 608 |
| 1986 | 248.1 | 607 |
| 1985 | 241.4 | 605 |
| 1984 | 234.7 | 604 |
| 1983 | 228.7 | 603 |
| 1982 | 222.9 | 603 |
| 1981 | 216.3 | 603 |
| 1980 | 209.8 | 603 |
| 1979 | 203.3 | 602 |
| 1978 | 197.1 | 602 |
| 1977 | 191.2 | 602 |
| 1976 | 185.6 | 602 |
| 1975 | 180.3 | 602 |
| 1974 | 175.4 | 602 |
| 1973 | 170.9 | 602 |
| 1972 | 166.6 | 600 |
| 1971 | 162.7 | 598 |
| 1970 | 158.9 | 596 |
| 1969 | 155.4 | 594 |
| 1968 | 151.9 | 591 |
| 1967 | 148.7 | 588 |
| 1966 | 145.6 | 585 |
| 1965 | 142.4 | 582 |
| 1964 | 139.4 | 578 |
| 1963 | 136.4 | 574 |
| 1962 | 133.6 | 570 |
| 1961 | 130.8 | 565 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2024 | 55% | 84.9% |
| 2023 | 54.3% | 84.6% |
| 2022 | 53.5% | 84.4% |
| 2021 | 52.7% | 84.2% |
| 2020 | 52% | 83.9% |
| 2019 | 51.2% | 83.7% |
| 2018 | 50.3% | 83.4% |
| 2017 | 49.5% | 83.1% |
| 2016 | 48.7% | 82.9% |
| 2015 | 47.8% | 82.6% |
| 2014 | 47% | 82.4% |
| 2013 | 46.1% | 82.1% |
| 2012 | 45.2% | 81.8% |
| 2011 | 44.4% | 81.6% |
| 2010 | 43.5% | 81.3% |
| 2009 | 42.6% | 81% |
| 2008 | 41.7% | 80.8% |
| 2007 | 40.8% | 80.5% |
| 2006 | 39.9% | 80.2% |
| 2005 | 39.1% | 79.9% |
| 2004 | 38.2% | 79.6% |
| 2003 | 37.4% | 79.3% |
| 2002 | 36.5% | 79% |
| 2001 | 35.7% | 78.8% |
| 2000 | 34.8% | 78.7% |
| 1999 | 34.3% | 78.6% |
| 1998 | 33.8% | 78.5% |
| 1997 | 33.2% | 78.5% |
| 1996 | 32.7% | 78.4% |
| 1995 | 32.2% | 78.4% |
| 1994 | 31.7% | 78.3% |
| 1993 | 31.2% | 78.2% |
| 1992 | 30.7% | 78.2% |
| 1991 | 30.2% | 78.1% |
| 1990 | 29.7% | 78.1% |
| 1989 | 28.8% | 78.2% |
| 1988 | 28% | 78.2% |
| 1987 | 27.2% | 78.3% |
| 1986 | 26.4% | 78.3% |
| 1985 | 25.6% | 78.4% |
| 1984 | 24.9% | 78.4% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | 78.5% |
| 1982 | 23.4% | 78.5% |
| 1981 | 22.7% | 78.6% |
| 1980 | 22% | 78.5% |
| 1979 | 21.5% | 78.3% |
| 1978 | 21.1% | 78.2% |
| 1977 | 20.6% | 78% |
| 1976 | 20.2% | 77.8% |
| 1975 | 19.8% | 77.7% |
| 1974 | 19.4% | 77.5% |
| 1973 | 19% | 77.4% |
| 1972 | 18.5% | 77.2% |
| 1971 | 18.2% | 77% |
| 1970 | 17.8% | 77.1% |
| 1969 | 17.5% | 77.3% |
| 1968 | 17.3% | 77.4% |
| 1967 | 17% | 77.5% |
| 1966 | 16.8% | 77.7% |
| 1965 | 16.6% | 77.8% |
| 1964 | 16.3% | 78% |
| 1963 | 16.1% | 78.1% |
| 1962 | 15.9% | 78.2% |
| 1961 | 15.6% | 78.4% |
| 1960 | 15.4% | 78.4% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 38.2% to 55% in Nigeria and from 79.6% to 84.9% in the United Kingdom.
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 |
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| London | 8.8M |
| Birmingham | 1.14M |
| Glasgow | 626K |
| Manchester | 548K |
| Leeds | 536K |
| Sheffield | 518K |
| Liverpool | 513K |
| Edinburgh | 488K |
| Bristol | 472K |
| Leicester | 464K |
Compare countries by 7 more topics
Population density in other countries
people per square mile
Population density
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comparisons:
Population density comparisons
