NGA · NG · United Nations WPP 2024 · 2026
Nigeria
Nigeria had a population of 242,431,832 people in 2026, ranking 6 of 237 countries and areas. Explore its age pyramid, trends and demographic indicators.
Source: United Nations World Population Prospects 2024, medium variant.
- Total population
- 242,431,832 people 2026 · Projection
- Rank
- #6/ 237 Africa #1 / 58
- Share of world population
- 2.92% 2026
- Density
- 266.2 people/km² 2026
- Median age
- 18.3 years
- Life expectancy
- 54.95 years
Country or area overview
Nigeria is in Africa. In 2026, its population was 242,431,832 people, about 2.92% of the world total. It ranks #6 of 237 countries and areas worldwide. The population was 37,283,010 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 476,747,781 people in 2100. The annual population growth rate in 2026 is 2.03%. The median age is 18.3. 40.0% of the population is under 15 and 3.1% is 65 or older. Life expectancy is 54.95 and the total fertility rate is 4.21. Within Africa, it ranks #1 of 58 by population and #9 of 58 by population density. Data note This page uses the UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium variant. Data for 1950–2023 are estimates; 2024 onward, including 2026, are projections. Values for 2100 are long-range projections.
Nigeria map
Country outline and its location in the world.
World location
Boundaries: Natural Earth 1:50m.
Population history and projection
Population from 1950 to 2100. The dashed section shows the UN medium-variant projection from 2024 onward.
Age group · 2026
Population age pyramid
Male and female population by five-year age group. Move the year slider to compare 1950, today and the 2100 projection.
Age-group data
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 17,540,276 | 17,101,591 | 34,641,867 | 14.29% |
| 5–9 | 16,101,674 | 15,639,238 | 31,740,912 | 13.09% |
| 10–14 | 15,573,018 | 15,054,509 | 30,627,527 | 12.63% |
| 15–19 | 14,062,075 | 13,536,584 | 27,598,659 | 11.38% |
| 20–24 | 12,090,766 | 11,643,962 | 23,734,728 | 9.79% |
| 25–29 | 9,611,409 | 9,271,556 | 18,882,965 | 7.79% |
| 30–34 | 7,896,466 | 7,616,939 | 15,513,405 | 6.40% |
| 35–39 | 6,653,154 | 6,459,820 | 13,112,974 | 5.41% |
| 40–44 | 5,799,180 | 5,651,194 | 11,450,374 | 4.72% |
| 45–49 | 4,920,225 | 4,820,730 | 9,740,955 | 4.02% |
| 50–54 | 3,829,249 | 3,808,244 | 7,637,493 | 3.15% |
| 55–59 | 2,890,564 | 2,921,213 | 5,811,777 | 2.40% |
| 60–64 | 2,174,684 | 2,267,628 | 4,442,312 | 1.83% |
| 65–69 | 1,566,469 | 1,685,515 | 3,251,984 | 1.34% |
| 70–74 | 1,027,422 | 1,136,195 | 2,163,617 | 0.89% |
| 75–79 | 582,732 | 658,470 | 1,241,202 | 0.51% |
| 80–84 | 282,999 | 317,894 | 600,893 | 0.25% |
| 85–89 | 88,751 | 107,174 | 195,925 | 0.08% |
| 90–94 | 15,790 | 22,368 | 38,158 | 0.02% |
| 95–99 | 1,348 | 2,550 | 3,898 | 0.00% |
| 100+ | 56 | 152 | 208 | 0.00% |
Demographic indicators
UN WPP 2024 indicators for 2026.
| Indicator | 2026 | Projection for 2100 | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 242,431,832 people | 476,747,781 people | people |
| Male population | 122,708,307 people | 239,521,015 people | people |
| Female population | 119,723,524 people | 237,226,766 people | people |
| Population density | 266.2 people/km² | 523.5 people/km² | people/km² |
| Sex ratio | 102.5 | 101.0 | males per 100 females |
| Median age | 18.3 | 34.3 | years |
| Natural change | 4,930,969 | 51,866 | people |
| Natural change rate | 20.34 ‰ | 0.11 ‰ | ‰ |
| Population change | 4,928,166 | 110,400 | people |
| Population growth rate | 2.03% | 0.02% | % |
| Population doubling time | 34.1 | — | years |
| Births | 7,711,752 people | 6,624,188 people | people |
| Births to women aged 15–19 | 1,077,489 | 265,340 | people |
| Birth rate | 31.81 ‰ | 13.90 ‰ | ‰ |
| Total fertility rate | 4.21 | 1.91 | children per woman |
| Net reproduction rate | 1.630 | 0.846 | |
| Mean age at childbearing | 29.14 | 29.50 | years |
| Sex ratio at birth | 103.8 | 103.8 | males per 100 females |
| Deaths | 2,780,783 people | 6,572,322 people | people |
| Male deaths | 1,411,528 | 3,466,332 | people |
| Female deaths | 1,369,255 | 3,105,990 | people |
| Death rate | 11.47 ‰ | 13.79 ‰ | ‰ |
| Life expectancy at birth | 54.95 | 64.73 | years |
| Male life expectancy at birth | 54.60 | 62.96 | years |
| Female life expectancy at birth | 55.31 | 66.60 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 15 | 48.71 | 54.87 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 65 | 12.20 | 13.72 | years |
| Life expectancy at age 80 | 5.25 | 5.87 | years |
| Infant deaths | 515,085 | 257,921 | people |
| Infant mortality rate | 66.91 ‰ | 38.89 ‰ | ‰ |
| Survivors to age 1 | 7,316,932 | 6,406,329 | people |
| Deaths under age 5 | 767,858 | 386,567 | people |
| Under-5 mortality rate | 100.74 ‰ | 58.00 ‰ | ‰ |
| Net migration | -2,810 | 58,541 | people |
| Net migration rate | -0.01 ‰ | 0.12 ‰ | ‰ |
Frequently asked questions
- What is the population of Nigeria?
- In 2026, Nigeria had a population of 242,431,832 people. It ranks #6 of 237 countries and areas worldwide.
- How has the population of Nigeria changed?
- The population was 37,283,010 people in 1950 and is projected to reach 476,747,781 people in 2100.
- What is the age structure of Nigeria?
- The median age is 18.3. 40.0% of the population is under 15 and 3.1% is 65 or older.
- How does Nigeria compare within Africa?
- By total population, Nigeria ranks #1 of 58 in Africa and #6 of 237 worldwide.
Estimates cover 1950–2023; 2024 and later are UN medium-variant projections. Rankings use the latest available value for the selected year. The world total is the sum of all countries and areas in the dataset.