Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Nigeria
Nigeria: Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita was 0.6378 people per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Nigeria, 1960–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Nigeria is 0.6378 people per person, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Nigeria peaked at 0.6378 people per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.1423 people per person, in 1960.
That places Nigeria 112th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | people per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.1423 people per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.1479 people per person | +3.9% |
| 1962 | 0.1535 people per person | +3.8% |
| 1963 | 0.1592 people per person | +3.7% |
| 1964 | 0.1648 people per person | +3.6% |
| 1965 | 0.1707 people per person | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 0.1767 people per person | +3.5% |
| 1967 | 0.1828 people per person | +3.5% |
| 1968 | 0.1891 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 0.1956 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 0.2022 people per person | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 0.2089 people per person | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 0.2157 people per person | +3.3% |
| 1973 | 0.2227 people per person | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 0.2298 people per person | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 0.237 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 0.2442 people per person | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 0.2516 people per person | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 0.259 people per person | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 0.2666 people per person | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 0.2741 people per person | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 0.2818 people per person | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 0.2895 people per person | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 0.2972 people per person | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 0.305 people per person | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 0.3128 people per person | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 0.3206 people per person | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 0.3284 people per person | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 0.3362 people per person | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 0.3441 people per person | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 0.3519 people per person | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 0.3597 people per person | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 0.3675 people per person | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 0.3753 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 0.3833 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 0.3914 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 0.3995 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 0.4077 people per person | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 0.416 people per person | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 0.4244 people per person | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 0.4328 people per person | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 0.4413 people per person | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 0.4498 people per person | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 0.4584 people per person | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 0.467 people per person | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 0.4757 people per person | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 0.4842 people per person | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 0.4924 people per person | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 0.5005 people per person | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 0.5086 people per person | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 0.5168 people per person | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 0.5249 people per person | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 0.533 people per person | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.5411 people per person | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 0.5492 people per person | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 0.5573 people per person | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 0.5654 people per person | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 0.5735 people per person | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 0.5816 people per person | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 0.5896 people per person | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 0.5977 people per person | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 0.6057 people per person | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 0.6137 people per person | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 0.6217 people per person | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 0.6298 people per person | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 0.6378 people per person | +1.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 0.6378 people per person is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.5087 people per person, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 0.6378 people per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.4552 people per person, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1683 people per person | 0.1423 people per person | 0.1956 people per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.2338 people per person | 0.2022 people per person | 0.2666 people per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.309 people per person | 0.2741 people per person | 0.3441 people per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.3877 people per person | 0.3519 people per person | 0.4244 people per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4711 people per person | 0.4328 people per person | 0.5086 people per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5532 people per person | 0.5168 people per person | 0.5896 people per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6177 people per person | 0.5977 people per person | 0.6378 people per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More population data for Nigeria
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0306 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -3.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0306 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1509 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 377,460 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.22 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5063 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Population density 523.46 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 32.05 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Nigeria?
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita in Nigeria was 0.6378 people per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6378 people per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1423 people per person in 1960.
- How does Nigeria rank for number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita?
- Nigeria ranks 112th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Number of people living in urban and rural areas, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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How this figure is calculated
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Number of people living in urban and rural areas ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Number of people living in urban and rural areas United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Number of people living in urban and rural areas divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.