What is the difference in total population between Nigeria and United States?

111,286 thousands, with United States ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and United States?

55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.

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.

Nigeria vs United States: Total population

Nigeria

235,088 thousands

in 2025

United States

346,374 thousands

in 2025

Nigeria rank

6th

United States rank

3rd

Total population over time

Nigeria
United States

How they compare

United States currently reports 346,374 thousands against 235,088 thousands in Nigeria, a difference of 111,286 thousands.

That makes United States's figure about 1.5 times Nigeria's.

Across all 55 years both countries report, United States has been ahead every year.

Nigeria ranks 6th and United States ranks 3rd of 230 countries.

United States has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Nigeria	United States	Difference	Ahead
1970s	62,152 thousands	216,856 thousands	154,704 thousands	United States
1980s	82,785 thousands	239,229 thousands	156,443 thousands	United States
1990s	108,206 thousands	265,087 thousands	156,881 thousands	United States
2000s	141,517 thousands	293,011 thousands	151,494 thousands	United States
2010s	185,824 thousands	323,106 thousands	137,282 thousands	United States
2020s	222,832 thousands	342,064 thousands	119,232 thousands	United States

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher total population, Nigeria or United States?: United States, at 346,374 thousands against 235,088 thousands in Nigeria as of 2025.
What is the difference in total population between Nigeria and United States?: 111,286 thousands, with United States ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and United States?: 55 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
How do Nigeria and United States rank globally for total population?: Nigeria ranks 6th and United States ranks 3rd 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.

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Nigeria vs United States: Total population. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/total-population-thousands/nigeria/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator: Total population (thousands)
Unit: thousands
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence: CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage: 233 places, 12,820 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed: 16 August 2026

February 2026 Data Release