Nigeria vs Russia: Total population
Nigeria
235,088 thousands
in 2025
Russia
144,435 thousands
in 2025
Nigeria rank
6th
Russia rank
9th
Total population over time
- Nigeria
- Russia
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 235,088 thousands against 144,435 thousands in Russia, a difference of 90,653 thousands.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.6 times Russia's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Russia ahead.
Nigeria ranks 6th and Russia ranks 9th of 230 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 2 and Russia in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Russia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 62,152 thousands | 133,482 thousands | 71,331 thousands | Russia |
| 1980s | 82,785 thousands | 142,691 thousands | 59,906 thousands | Russia |
| 1990s | 108,206 thousands | 148,363 thousands | 40,157 thousands | Russia |
| 2000s | 141,517 thousands | 145,150 thousands | 3,634 thousands | Russia |
| 2010s | 185,824 thousands | 145,072 thousands | 40,752 thousands | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 223,276 thousands | 145,590 thousands | 77,685 thousands | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher total population, Nigeria or Russia?
- Nigeria, at 235,088 thousands against 144,435 thousands in Russia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in total population between Nigeria and Russia?
- 90,653 thousands, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Russia?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Nigeria and Russia rank globally for total population?
- Nigeria ranks 6th and Russia ranks 9th of 230 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Total population (thousands). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release