Home to a breathtakingly youthful and rapidly expanding nation, Nigeria’s population of over 223 million people is not just a number—it’s a dynamic force reshaping the country’s future at a staggering pace.
Key Takeaways
- Nigeria's population reached 206,139,589 in 2020 according to the United Nations
- As of July 2023, Nigeria has 223,804,632 inhabitants per Worldometer elaboration of UN data
- Nigeria's population density is 232 people per km² in 2023
- 0-14 years age group comprises 41.94% of Nigeria's population in 2023
- 15-64 years working age group is 55.13% of Nigeria's population
- 65+ years elderly group is 2.93% in Nigeria 2023
- Total fertility rate in Nigeria is 5.2 children per woman 2023
- Crude birth rate is 36.45 per 1,000 people in Nigeria 2023
- Infant mortality rate is 72.82 deaths per 1,000 live births Nigeria 2023
- Urban population growth rate: 4.25% annually Nigeria 2023
- Rural population percentage: 47.5% of total Nigeria 2023
- Largest city Lagos has 15.4 million people metro area 2023
- Hausa ethnic group comprises 30% of Nigeria's population approx. 67 million
- Yoruba ethnic group 15.5% about 35 million Nigerians
- Igbo ethnic group 15.2% roughly 34 million in Nigeria
Nigeria has a huge, young, and fast-growing population with immense urban expansion.
Age and Sex Distribution
10-14 years age group comprises 41.94% of Nigeria's population in 2023
Verified215-64 years working age group is 55.13% of Nigeria's population
Verified365+ years elderly group is 2.93% in Nigeria 2023
Verified4Male population percentage in Nigeria is 49.9% as of 2023
Directional5Female population percentage is 50.1% in Nigeria 2023
Single source6Dependency ratio in Nigeria is 81.4% with high youth dependency
Verified7Sex ratio at birth in Nigeria is 1.03 males per female
Verified8Population pyramid shows broad base with 42% under 15 years
Verified9Youth population (15-24) is 20.4% of total in Nigeria 2021 census projection
Directional10Children under 5 years number 17.5 million in Nigeria 2023 est.
Single source11Adolescent girls (10-19) total 11.2 million in Nigeria
Verified12Males aged 0-14: 44,903,085 in Nigeria 2023
Verified13Females aged 0-14: 43,012,197 in Nigeria 2023
Verified14Working age males 15-64: 60,851,000 approx. in 2023
Directional15Working age females 15-64: 59,305,000 approx. in 2023
Single source16Elderly males 65+: 2,900,000 est. Nigeria 2023
Verified17Elderly females 65+: 3,100,000 est. Nigeria 2023
Verified18Age structure 0-4 years: 15.3% of population Nigeria 2023
Verified19Age structure 5-9 years: 14.8% Nigeria 2023 CIA
Directional20Age structure 10-14 years: 13.9% Nigeria population 2023
Single sourceAge and Sex Distribution Interpretation
Nigeria is a nation built on a vast, youthful foundation, with nearly 42% of its people under 15 years old, presenting both a formidable promise for the future and an immense immediate challenge to harness that potential.
Ethnic, Religious, and Linguistic Diversity
1Hausa ethnic group comprises 30% of Nigeria's population approx. 67 million
Verified2Yoruba ethnic group 15.5% about 35 million Nigerians
Verified3Igbo ethnic group 15.2% roughly 34 million in Nigeria
Verified4Fulani 6% around 13 million population Nigeria
Directional5Muslims 53.5% of population over 119 million Nigeria 2023 est.
Single source6Christians 45.9% about 102 million in Nigeria
Verified7Over 500 ethnic groups in Nigeria with major three dominant
Verified8English official language spoken by 50 million as first/second language
Verified9Hausa language speakers 50-80 million Nigeria dominant north
Directional10Yoruba speakers 40-45 million mainly southwest Nigeria
Single source11Igbo speakers 30 million in southeast Nigeria
Verified12Kanuri ethnic 4% about 9 million northeast Nigeria
Verified13Ijaw ethnic 1.8% over 4 million Niger Delta Nigeria
Verified14Ibibio 1.5% approx 3.3 million southeast Nigeria
Directional15Traditional religions 1.6% about 3.5 million adherents Nigeria
Single source16Pidgin English spoken by 100 million as lingua franca Nigeria
Verified17Tiv ethnic 2.5% around 5.6 million central Nigeria
Verified18Nupe ethnic 1% over 2 million Nigeria
Verified19Languages total over 520 in Nigeria
Directional20Muslims predominantly Sunni 53.5% with Shia minority
Single source21Christians split Protestant 30% Catholic 10% other 6% Nigeria
Verified22Edo ethnic 1% about 2.2 million midwest Nigeria
VerifiedEthnic, Religious, and Linguistic Diversity Interpretation
While the census may be a complex tapestry of over 500 ethnic threads, the national conversation is often clumsily hemmed by the 'Big Three' and stitched together by a linguistic patchwork of English, Pidgin, and a handful of dominant native tongues, all under the considerable, and often tense, drape of two major faiths.
Fertility, Mortality, and Life Expectancy
1Total fertility rate in Nigeria is 5.2 children per woman 2023
Verified2Crude birth rate is 36.45 per 1,000 people in Nigeria 2023
Verified3Infant mortality rate is 72.82 deaths per 1,000 live births Nigeria 2023
Verified4Life expectancy at birth is 54.78 years total Nigeria 2023
Directional5Maternal mortality ratio is 814 deaths per 100,000 live births Nigeria 2020
Single source6Under-5 mortality rate is 117.2 per 1,000 live births Nigeria 2022
Verified7Crude death rate is 8.31 per 1,000 people Nigeria 2023
Verified8Net migration rate is -0.2 migrants per 1,000 population Nigeria
Verified9Life expectancy males: 54.62 years Nigeria 2023
Directional10Life expectancy females: 55.05 years Nigeria 2023
Single source11Neonatal mortality rate: 37 per 1,000 live births Nigeria 2022
Verified12Adolescent birth rate (15-19): 74.6 per 1,000 women Nigeria
Verified13HIV/AIDS adult prevalence: 1.3% in Nigeria 2022
Verified14Contraceptive prevalence rate: 17% among married women Nigeria
Directional15Annual number of births: 7,599,297 in Nigeria 2023 est.
Single source16Annual number of deaths: 1,707,778 in Nigeria 2023 est.
Verified17Stillbirth rate: 43 per 1,000 births Nigeria 2022
Verified18Total deaths under age 5: 292,895 annually Nigeria est.
Verified19Female life expectancy at 60: 14.3 years Nigeria 2021
Directional20Male life expectancy at 60: 14.0 years Nigeria 2021
Single source21Probability of dying between 30-70 from NCDs: 25.4% Nigeria
Verified22Suicide mortality rate: 6.9 per 100,000 Nigeria 2019
VerifiedFertility, Mortality, and Life Expectancy Interpretation
Nigeria's high birth rate is not a celebration of life but a frantic, heart-rending race against tragically predictable childhood mortality and a shockingly short adult life expectancy.
Total Population and Density
1Nigeria's population reached 206,139,589 in 2020 according to the United Nations
Verified2As of July 2023, Nigeria has 223,804,632 inhabitants per Worldometer elaboration of UN data
Verified3Nigeria's population density is 232 people per km² in 2023
Verified4Land area of Nigeria is 923,768 km² supporting its dense population
Directional5Nigeria ranks 6th globally in population size with 223 million in 2023
Single source6Annual population growth rate in Nigeria is 2.44% as of 2023
Verified7Nigeria's population doubled from 99 million in 1991 to 206 million in 2020
Verified8Projected population for Nigeria in 2050 is 401 million per UN medium variant
Verified9Nigeria's median age is 18.1 years indicating a youthful population
Directional10Population living in urban areas is 52.5% in Nigeria as of 2023
Single sourceTotal Population and Density Interpretation
While Nigeria’s booming youth are poised to build a future as crowded as a Lagos bus, the sobering reality is that their nation must urgently find room, resources, and opportunity for a population set to nearly double by 2050.
Urbanization and Migration
1Urban population growth rate: 4.25% annually Nigeria 2023
Verified2Rural population percentage: 47.5% of total Nigeria 2023
Verified3Largest city Lagos has 15.4 million people metro area 2023
Verified4Internal migrants number over 17 million in Nigeria 2010s
Directional5Net migration flow: -50,000 annually Nigeria recent years
Single source6International migrant stock: 1.5% of population Nigeria 2020
Verified7Urban agglomerations over 1 million: 13 in Nigeria 2023
Verified8Rural-urban migration rate high with 60% urban increase from migration
Verified9IDPs in Nigeria: 3.3 million due to conflict 2023
Directional10Refugee population hosted: 311,000 in Nigeria 2023
Single source11Nigerian diaspora: 1.4 million abroad mainly UK and US 2020
Verified12Slum population percentage: 52% of urban dwellers Nigeria
Verified13Kano city population: 4.1 million metro Nigeria 2023
Verified14Ibadan population: 3.7 million metro Nigeria 2023
Directional15Abuja population: 3.0 million metro Nigeria 2023
Single source16Port Harcourt population: 2.9 million metro Nigeria 2023
Verified17Benin City population: 1.8 million metro Nigeria 2023
Verified18Urban population total: 117 million in Nigeria 2023 est.
Verified19Kaduna city population: 1.8 million metro Nigeria 2023
Directional20Maiduguri population: 1.2 million affected by displacement Nigeria
Single sourceUrbanization and Migration Interpretation
Nigeria is a nation in frantic motion, where a historic urban exodus fueled by both aspiration and adversity is rapidly building megacities faster than it can build decent lives for half the people arriving in them.
Sources & References
- Reference 1POPULATIONpopulation.un.orgVisit source
- Reference 2WORLDOMETERSworldometers.infoVisit source
- Reference 3CIAcia.govVisit source
- Reference 4MACROTRENDSmacrotrends.netVisit source
- Reference 5NIGERIANSTATnigerianstat.gov.ngVisit source
- Reference 6DATAdata.worldbank.orgVisit source
- Reference 7POPULATIONPYRAMIDpopulationpyramid.netVisit source
- Reference 8DATAdata.unicef.orgVisit source
- Reference 9DATAdata.who.intVisit source
- Reference 10MIGRATIONDATAPORTALmigrationdataportal.orgVisit source
- Reference 11WORLDPOPULATIONREVIEWworldpopulationreview.comVisit source
- Reference 12UNHCRunhcr.orgVisit source
- Reference 13ENen.wikipedia.orgVisit source