Nigeria Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Nigeria is 243,824,469 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 232,679,478 in 2024.

Since 2006, population has increased from 149M people to 244M (63.6% growth in 20 years).
Nigeria accounts for 2.94% of the world's population.
Nigeria is ranked 6/197 by population and was ranked 7th in 2006.
For the last 20 years, Nigeria has had an average growth rate of 3.18% per year.
Nigeria is projected to reach 482M people in 2100.

Nigeria population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	481,678,166	0.04%
2099	481,494,914	0.06%
2098	481,219,866	0.07%
2097	480,876,108	0.09%
2096	480,460,381	0.1%
2095	479,976,454	0.11%
2094	479,432,855	0.13%
2093	478,807,152	0.15%
2092	478,097,591	0.17%
2091	477,274,569	0.19%
2090	476,367,086	0.21%
2089	475,363,859	0.23%
2088	474,268,867	0.25%
2087	473,072,894	0.28%
2086	471,769,229	0.3%
2085	470,365,292	0.32%
2084	468,843,169	0.35%
2083	467,224,322	0.37%
2082	465,509,151	0.39%
2081	463,679,779	0.42%
2080	461,741,930	0.45%
2079	459,680,797	0.47%
2078	457,513,367	0.5%
2077	455,254,796	0.52%
2076	452,885,729	0.55%
2075	450,402,898	0.58%
2074	447,825,224	0.6%
2073	445,152,156	0.63%
2072	442,375,349	0.65%
2071	439,499,004	0.68%
2070	436,539,777	0.71%
2069	433,472,204	0.73%
2068	430,320,190	0.76%
2067	427,066,199	0.79%
2066	423,736,078	0.81%
2065	420,318,527	0.84%
2064	416,811,285	0.87%
2063	413,231,409	0.89%
2062	409,583,480	0.92%
2061	405,859,509	0.94%
2060	402,073,494	0.97%
2059	398,228,736	0.99%
2058	394,315,883	1.02%
2057	390,341,867	1.05%
2056	386,298,064	1.07%
2055	382,193,151	1.1%
2054	378,030,342	1.13%
2053	373,799,276	1.16%
2052	369,501,634	1.19%
2051	365,149,555	1.22%
2050	360,734,783	1.25%
2049	356,271,401	1.28%
2048	351,752,501	1.32%
2047	347,169,674	1.35%
2046	342,532,578	1.39%
2045	337,834,528	1.43%
2044	333,076,416	1.47%
2043	328,256,555	1.51%
2042	323,388,886	1.54%
2041	318,469,120	1.59%
2040	313,492,800	1.63%
2039	308,474,350	1.66%
2038	303,423,786	1.7%
2037	298,351,344	1.74%
2036	293,250,795	1.77%
2035	288,138,368	1.81%
2034	283,018,151	1.84%
2033	277,897,810	1.88%
2032	272,769,123	1.91%
2031	267,666,779	1.94%
2030	262,583,487	1.97%
2029	257,504,936	2%
2028	252,465,743	2.02%
2027	247,457,208	2.05%
2026	242,477,499	2.08%
2025	237,546,527	2.09%
2024	232,679,478	2.1%
2023	227,882,945	2.12%
2022	223,150,896	2.11%
2021	218,529,286	2.12%
2020	213,996,181	2.15%
2019	209,485,641	2.22%
2018	204,938,755	2.34%
2017	200,254,579	2.46%
2016	195,443,700	2.5%
2015	190,671,878	2.57%
2014	185,896,915	2.68%
2013	181,049,443	2.75%
2012	176,200,625	2.81%
2011	171,379,598	2.84%
2010	166,642,886	2.83%
2009	162,049,464	2.83%
2008	157,595,014	2.82%
2007	153,267,261	2.81%
2006	149,077,334	2.8%
2005	145,017,253	2.81%
2004	141,057,045	2.81%
2003	137,202,644	2.8%
2002	133,471,989	2.78%
2001	129,862,595	2.75%
2000	126,382,494	2.71%
1999	123,047,320	2.67%
1998	119,846,254	2.65%
1997	116,754,792	2.64%
1996	113,754,779	2.65%
1995	110,819,428	2.67%
1994	107,935,714	2.68%
1993	105,122,069	2.69%
1992	102,372,770	2.66%
1991	99,720,162	2.68%
1990	97,120,925	2.74%
1989	94,531,014	2.73%
1988	92,020,090	2.71%
1987	89,591,716	2.7%
1986	87,235,953	2.75%
1985	84,897,973	2.87%
1984	82,526,443	2.6%
1983	80,438,260	2.63%
1982	78,378,701	3.04%
1981	76,068,103	3.12%
1980	73,764,641	3.17%
1979	71,498,242	3.13%
1978	69,326,532	3.11%
1977	67,234,590	3.03%
1976	65,258,009	2.91%
1975	63,410,815	2.81%
1974	61,679,144	2.66%
1973	60,082,139	2.53%
1972	58,601,748	2.42%
1971	57,214,684	2.36%
1970	55,893,838	2.31%
1969	54,631,914	2.24%
1968	53,432,783	2.18%
1967	52,293,065	2.16%
1966	51,188,234	2.2%
1965	50,086,764	2.19%
1964	49,012,016	2.16%
1963	47,973,575	2.15%
1962	46,965,292	2.12%
1961	45,989,310	2.08%
1960	45,053,782	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/nigeria | CC BY

Nigeria has a population of 244M as of 2026, compared to 195M in 2016, 149M in 2006, and 114M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.48% per year. Nigeria is ranked 48th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Nigeria will have 342,532,578 people (40.5% growth) with a rank change from 6th to 5th.

By the year 2100, Nigeria's population is projected to grow by 97.6% from its current level to 482M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-15,258
2024	-	-	-35,202
2023	4,776,373	4,834,309	-57,936
2022	4,687,822	4,739,502	-51,680
2021	4,555,447	4,641,562	-86,115
2020	4,510,667	4,525,164	-14,497
2019	4,510,219	4,609,941	-99,722
2018	4,583,333	4,659,898	-76,565
2017	4,784,868	4,706,183	78,685
2016	4,836,859	4,761,594	75,265
2015	4,706,883	4,823,045	-116,162
2014	4,842,943	4,862,319	-19,376
2013	4,851,952	4,811,751	40,201
2012	4,845,646	4,774,508	71,138
2011	4,796,171	4,728,363	67,808
2010	4,677,139	4,629,173	47,966
2009	4,509,727	4,528,149	-18,422
2008	4,399,330	4,412,976	-13,646
2007	4,256,266	4,265,428	-9,162
2006	4,123,610	4,135,703	-12,093
2005	3,996,642	4,013,788	-17,146
2004	3,923,746	3,877,376	46,370
2003	3,784,977	3,751,120	33,857
2002	3,676,408	3,606,814	69,594
2001	3,542,533	3,478,370	64,163
2000	3,417,731	3,343,196	74,535
1999	3,252,620	3,155,425	97,195
1998	3,149,521	3,003,946	145,575
1997	3,033,385	2,936,500	96,885
1996	2,966,653	2,882,205	84,448
1995	2,904,014	2,830,771	73,243
1994	2,863,332	2,735,198	128,134
1993	2,763,875	2,673,675	90,200
1992	2,734,585	2,596,173	138,412
1991	2,570,567	2,527,807	42,760
1990	2,627,887	2,491,928	135,959
1989	2,551,912	2,452,324	99,588
1988	2,469,929	2,376,419	93,510
1987	2,386,815	2,322,397	64,418
1986	2,324,685	2,295,003	29,682
1985	2,351,298	2,289,784	61,514
1984	2,391,818	2,278,060	113,758
1983	1,784,550	2,292,089	-507,539
1982	2,334,517	2,233,401	101,116
1981	2,286,607	2,179,884	106,723
1980	2,320,290	2,121,618	198,672
1979	2,212,528	2,074,807	137,721
1978	2,130,879	2,019,621	111,258
1977	2,052,992	1,923,917	129,075
1976	1,900,178	1,827,289	72,889
1975	1,794,226	1,718,623	75,603
1974	1,669,094	1,624,813	44,281
1973	1,524,867	1,525,485	-618
1972	1,435,966	1,448,928	-12,962
1971	1,338,257	1,373,896	-35,639
1970	1,303,460	1,295,507	7,953
1969	1,220,396	1,213,484	6,912
1968	1,177,869	1,168,254	9,615
1967	1,101,567	1,082,884	18,683
1966	1,108,095	1,095,582	12,513
1965	1,094,828	1,061,840	32,988
1964	1,054,683	1,028,272	26,411
1963	1,022,231	995,116	27,115
1962	994,358	966,452	27,906
1961	957,626	932,111	25,515
1960	913,432	901,301	12,131

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/nigeria | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 99.2% of the population change in Nigeria is from natural causes (a gain of 47,163,517 people) and 0.77% is from migration (a loss of 368,103 people).

As of 2024, 1,403,281 residents or 0.6% of the population were not native-born in Nigeria, compared to 990,494 and 0.6% in 2010.

Nigeria population clock

	Nigeria	Rank
Current population	243824469	6/197
Percent of world population	2.94%	6/197
One net population change	6.58 seconds	2/197
One birth every	4.2 seconds	3/196
One death every	11.8 seconds	4/196
Daily growth/decline	+13,141	2/197
Annual growth/decline	+4,796,533	2/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+2.1%	48/197
One migration net change every	34.5 minutes	145/196
Annual migration change	-15,258	145/196
Foreign-born residents	1,403,281	49/195
Foreign-born share of population	0.6%	173/195

Largest cities by population

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

Nigeria population statistics

	Nigeria	World
Life expectancy	55 years	73.8 years
Average age	23.4 years	33.8 years
Median age	19 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	50.6:49.4	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	4.48 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	690 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Nigeria.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/nigeria | CC BY