Nigeria has a population density of 690 people per square mile compared to 750 people in the United Kingdom. Nigeria has 42,734 sq ft of land per person vs 37,705 sq ft in the United Kingdom. Nigeria and the United Kingdom rank 41st and 35th 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 0.85% of the population and 0.16% of the land area for the United Kingdom, making the population density in Nigeria 8.06% lower than in the United Kingdom.
Population density by year
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
Nigeria
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2026 | 690 | 750 |
| 2025 | 676 | 746 |
| 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 |
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/united-kingdom | CC BY 
From 2006 to 2026, population density in Nigeria increased by 62.7%, compared to a 15.1% growth in the United Kingdom.
In 2006, Nigeria ranked 53rd by population density and is 41st now. The United Kingdom was 35th in 2006 and still ranks 35th out of 197 currently.
Population density comparison
|
Nigeria
|
United Kingdom
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 690 ppl/mi² | 750 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 41/197 | 35/197 |
| Population |
243824469
|
70154914
|
| Land area | 351,650 sq mi | 93,410 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 42,133 sq ft | 37,618 sq ft |
| Rural population | 37% | 16.8% |
| Urban population | 63% | 83.2% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 13.8% | 14.2% |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
United Kingdom
|
|
| 2024 | 63% | 83.2% |
| 2023 | 62.2% | 83.2% |
| 2022 | 61.4% | 83.1% |
| 2021 | 60.6% | 83% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | 82.9% |
| 2019 | 59% | 82.7% |
| 2018 | 58.2% | 82.4% |
| 2017 | 57.3% | 82.2% |
| 2016 | 56.5% | 82% |
| 2015 | 55.7% | 81.8% |
| 2014 | 54.9% | 81.6% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | 81.5% |
| 2012 | 53.3% | 81.3% |
| 2011 | 52.5% | 81.1% |
| 2010 | 51.7% | 81% |
| 2009 | 50.9% | 80.9% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | 80.8% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | 80.6% |
| 2006 | 48.4% | 80.5% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | 80.4% |
| 2004 | 46.7% | 80.3% |
| 2003 | 45.8% | 80.2% |
| 2002 | 45% | 80.1% |
| 2001 | 44.1% | 80% |
| 2000 | 43.3% | 79.8% |
| 1999 | 42.4% | 79.6% |
| 1998 | 41.6% | 79.4% |
| 1997 | 40.8% | 79.1% |
| 1996 | 40% | 78.9% |
| 1995 | 39.1% | 78.7% |
| 1994 | 38.3% | 78.4% |
| 1993 | 37.5% | 78.3% |
| 1992 | 36.7% | 78.2% |
| 1991 | 36% | 78.1% |
| 1990 | 35.2% | 78.1% |
| 1989 | 34.4% | 78.1% |
| 1988 | 33.6% | 78.2% |
| 1987 | 32.8% | 78.3% |
| 1986 | 32.1% | 78.3% |
| 1985 | 31.3% | 78.4% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | 78.5% |
| 1983 | 29.7% | 78.5% |
| 1982 | 28.9% | 78.6% |
| 1981 | 28.2% | 78.6% |
| 1980 | 27.4% | 78.6% |
| 1979 | 26.7% | 78.5% |
| 1978 | 25.9% | 78.3% |
| 1977 | 25.2% | 78.1% |
| 1976 | 24.4% | 77.8% |
| 1975 | 23.7% | 77.5% |
| 1974 | 23% | 77.3% |
| 1973 | 22.3% | 77.1% |
| 1972 | 21.6% | 77% |
| 1971 | 20.9% | 76.9% |
| 1970 | 20.2% | 76.9% |
| 1969 | 19.6% | 77% |
| 1968 | 18.9% | 77.1% |
| 1967 | 18.3% | 77.2% |
| 1966 | 17.7% | 77.4% |
| 1965 | 17.1% | 77.6% |
| 1964 | 16.5% | 77.8% |
| 1963 | 15.9% | 78% |
| 1962 | 15.4% | 78.2% |
| 1961 | 14.8% | 78.4% |
| 1960 | 14.2% | 78.6% |
Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).
GeoRank.org/population-density/nigeria/united-kingdom | CC BY
From 2004 to 2024, the share of urban population changed from 46.7% to 63% in Nigeria and from 80.3% to 83.2% 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 |
| Cardiff | 384K |
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/united-kingdom | 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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