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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
2.92%
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)
4.2
(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, 55.8% of the population of Nigeria is urban (135,288,691 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 910,770 Km2 (351,650 sq. miles).

Largest cities by Population in Nigeria

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank Urban Area Population Estimate (2025)
1 Lagos 12,791,699
2 Onitsha 5,627,706
3 Kano 4,840,280
4 Owerri 3,833,343
5 Ibadan 3,720,721
6 Port Harcourt 2,341,445
7 Kaduna 1,890,448
8 Benin City 1,845,432
9 Warri 1,607,702
10 Uyo 1,567,115
11 Aba 1,428,069
12 Aboh 1,374,320
13 Abuja 1,373,722
14 Ilorin 1,282,219
15 Maiduguri 1,225,505
16 Enugu 1,115,303
17 Otite 1,020,218
18 Jos 923,652
19 Ikorodu 916,166
20 Sokoto 903,238
21 Umuahia 843,245
22 Nsukka 830,196
23 Abeokuta 801,826
24 Oyo 793,241
25 Yola 758,153
26 Zaria 712,688
27 Akure 700,747
28 Calabar 673,427
29 Bauchi 642,082
30 Lokoja 629,547
More info

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.