Nigeria has a population density of 662 people per square mile compared to 96.3 people in the United States. Nigeria has 42,734 sq ft of land per person vs 310,997 sq ft in the United States. In the list of countries ranked from the most to the least densely populated, Nigeria and the United States are ranked 43rd and 149th, 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 4.18% of the population and 6.14% of the land area for the United States, hence the population density in Nigeria is 587% higher than in the United States.
Population density comparison
Nigeria
|
United States
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Population density | 662 ppl/mi² | 96.3 ppl/mi² |
| Population density rank | 43/197 | 149/197 |
| Population |
241467099
|
343323530
|
| Land area | 351,650 sq mi | 3,531,839 sq mi |
| Land area per capita | 42,133 sq ft | 289,500 sq ft |
| Rural population | 45% | 16.5% |
| Urban population | 55% | 83.5% |
| Living in agglomerations of 1M+ people | 14.5% | 7.68% |
Nigeria vs the United States:
Population density chart by year
From 2004 to 2024, population density in Nigeria increased by 65%, compared to a 16.3% growth in the United States.
In 2004, Nigeria ranked 53rd for population density and is in 43rd place now. The United States was 145th in 2004 and ranks 149th out of 197 currently.
people per square mile
| Year | Population density | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
United States
|
|
| 2024 | 662 | 96.3 |
| 2023 | 648 | 94.8 |
| 2022 | 635 | 94.4 |
| 2021 | 621 | 94 |
| 2020 | 609 | 93.9 |
| 2019 | 596 | 93 |
| 2018 | 583 | 92.5 |
| 2017 | 569 | 92.1 |
| 2016 | 556 | 91.5 |
| 2015 | 542 | 90.8 |
| 2014 | 529 | 90.1 |
| 2013 | 515 | 89.5 |
| 2012 | 501 | 88.9 |
| 2011 | 487 | 88.2 |
| 2010 | 474 | 87.6 |
| 2009 | 461 | 86.9 |
| 2008 | 448 | 86.1 |
| 2007 | 436 | 85.2 |
| 2006 | 424 | 84.3 |
| 2005 | 412 | 83.5 |
| 2004 | 401 | 82.8 |
| 2003 | 390 | 82 |
| 2002 | 380 | 81.3 |
| 2001 | 369 | 80.6 |
| 2000 | 359 | 79.8 |
| 1999 | 350 | 79 |
| 1998 | 341 | 78.1 |
| 1997 | 332 | 77.2 |
| 1996 | 323 | 76.3 |
| 1995 | 315 | 75.4 |
| 1994 | 307 | 74.5 |
| 1993 | 298.9 | 73.6 |
| 1992 | 291.1 | 72.6 |
| 1991 | 283.6 | 71.7 |
| 1990 | 276.2 | 70.7 |
| 1989 | 268.8 | 69.8 |
| 1988 | 261.7 | 69.1 |
| 1987 | 254.8 | 68.5 |
| 1986 | 248.1 | 67.9 |
| 1985 | 241.4 | 67.3 |
| 1984 | 234.7 | 66.7 |
| 1983 | 228.7 | 66.1 |
| 1982 | 222.9 | 65.5 |
| 1981 | 216.3 | 64.9 |
| 1980 | 209.8 | 64.1 |
| 1979 | 203.3 | 63.6 |
| 1978 | 197.1 | 62.9 |
| 1977 | 191.2 | 62.3 |
| 1976 | 185.6 | 61.7 |
| 1975 | 180.3 | 61.1 |
| 1974 | 175.4 | 60.5 |
| 1973 | 170.9 | 59.9 |
| 1972 | 166.6 | 59.4 |
| 1971 | 162.7 | 58.7 |
| 1970 | 158.9 | 58 |
| 1969 | 155.4 | 57.3 |
| 1968 | 151.9 | 56.8 |
| 1967 | 148.7 | 56.2 |
| 1966 | 145.6 | 55.6 |
| 1965 | 142.4 | 54.9 |
| 1964 | 139.4 | 54.3 |
| 1963 | 136.4 | 53.5 |
| 1962 | 133.6 | 52.7 |
| 1961 | 130.8 | 51.9 |
Share of urban population by year
| Year | Urban population | |
|---|---|---|
|
Nigeria
|
United States
|
|
| 2024 | 55% | 83.5% |
| 2023 | 54.3% | 83.3% |
| 2022 | 53.5% | 83.1% |
| 2021 | 52.7% | 82.9% |
| 2020 | 52% | 82.7% |
| 2019 | 51.2% | 82.5% |
| 2018 | 50.3% | 82.3% |
| 2017 | 49.5% | 82.1% |
| 2016 | 48.7% | 81.9% |
| 2015 | 47.8% | 81.7% |
| 2014 | 47% | 81.5% |
| 2013 | 46.1% | 81.3% |
| 2012 | 45.2% | 81.1% |
| 2011 | 44.4% | 80.9% |
| 2010 | 43.5% | 80.8% |
| 2009 | 42.6% | 80.6% |
| 2008 | 41.7% | 80.4% |
| 2007 | 40.8% | 80.3% |
| 2006 | 39.9% | 80.1% |
| 2005 | 39.1% | 79.9% |
| 2004 | 38.2% | 79.8% |
| 2003 | 37.4% | 79.6% |
| 2002 | 36.5% | 79.4% |
| 2001 | 35.7% | 79.2% |
| 2000 | 34.8% | 79.1% |
| 1999 | 34.3% | 78.7% |
| 1998 | 33.8% | 78.4% |
| 1997 | 33.2% | 78% |
| 1996 | 32.7% | 77.6% |
| 1995 | 32.2% | 77.3% |
| 1994 | 31.7% | 76.9% |
| 1993 | 31.2% | 76.5% |
| 1992 | 30.7% | 76.1% |
| 1991 | 30.2% | 75.7% |
| 1990 | 29.7% | 75.3% |
| 1989 | 28.8% | 75.1% |
| 1988 | 28% | 74.9% |
| 1987 | 27.2% | 74.8% |
| 1986 | 26.4% | 74.6% |
| 1985 | 25.6% | 74.5% |
| 1984 | 24.9% | 74.3% |
| 1983 | 24.1% | 74.2% |
| 1982 | 23.4% | 74% |
| 1981 | 22.7% | 73.9% |
| 1980 | 22% | 73.7% |
| 1979 | 21.5% | 73.7% |
| 1978 | 21.1% | 73.7% |
| 1977 | 20.6% | 73.7% |
| 1976 | 20.2% | 73.7% |
| 1975 | 19.8% | 73.7% |
| 1974 | 19.4% | 73.6% |
| 1973 | 19% | 73.6% |
| 1972 | 18.5% | 73.6% |
| 1971 | 18.2% | 73.6% |
| 1970 | 17.8% | 73.6% |
| 1969 | 17.5% | 73.3% |
| 1968 | 17.3% | 73% |
| 1967 | 17% | 72.6% |
| 1966 | 16.8% | 72.2% |
| 1965 | 16.6% | 71.9% |
| 1964 | 16.3% | 71.5% |
| 1963 | 16.1% | 71.1% |
| 1962 | 15.9% | 70.8% |
| 1961 | 15.6% | 70.4% |
| 1960 | 15.4% | 70% |
From 2004 to 2024 share of the urban population changed from 38.2% to 55% in Nigeria and from 79.8% to 83.5% in the United States.
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 States
|
|
|---|---|
| City | Population |
| New York | 8.8M |
| Los Angeles | 3.9M |
| Chicago | 2.75M |
| Houston | 2.3M |
| Phoenix | 1.61M |
| Philadelphia | 1.6M |
| San Antonio | 1.43M |
| San Diego | 1.39M |
| Dallas | 1.3M |
| San Jose | 1.01M |
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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