Nigeria Demographics

Population of Nigeria (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of Nigeria

Nigeria Population
242,431,832
see live
Yearly Change
+2.06%
Global Share
2.9%
Global Rank
6

Median Age

The median age in Nigeria is 18.3 years (2026).

Fertility in Nigeria

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility : the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
4.20
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in Nigeria

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
55.0
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
55.3
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
54.6
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in Nigeria


Infant Mortality
66.9
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
100.7
(per 1,000 live births)


Nigeria Urban Population

Currently, 64.6% of the population of Nigeria is urban (156,548,433 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in Nigeria is 266 people per km² (689 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 910,768 km² (351,649 sq. miles).

Largest Urban Areas in Nigeria

The 30 largest of 457 urban areas, ranked by the UN's population estimates for 2026.

RankUrban AreaPopulation
1Lagos12,956,639
2Onitsha5,761,718
3Kano4,906,917
4Owerri3,948,567
5Ibadan3,763,675
6Port Harcourt2,381,838
7Kaduna1,913,187
8Benin City1,867,783
9Warri1,648,293
10Uyo1,605,851
11Aba1,454,673
12Abuja1,415,674
13Aboh1,415,244
14Ilorin1,296,282
15Maiduguri1,238,515
16Enugu1,128,316
17Otite1,036,360
18Ikorodu937,902
19Jos933,946
20Sokoto916,261
21Nsukka868,575
22Umuahia867,801
23Abeokuta816,943
24Oyo810,884
25Yola767,850
26Zaria731,211
27Akure711,200
28Calabar683,791
29Bauchi651,371
30Lokoja645,088
Unlike official city figures, UN urban areas cover the entire built-up area, which can include multiple cities and towns.
See all 457 urban areas in Nigeria

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64] ) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.