Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 7,190 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
7,190 thousands
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
24th
of 233 countries
All-time high
7,190 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
1,819 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Nigeria, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 7,190 thousands for population aged 65 years or older in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 28.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Nigeria peaked at 7,190 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 1,819 thousands, in 1970.
Nigeria ranks 24th of 233 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1,819 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 1,852 thousands | +1.8% |
| 1972 | 1,888 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 1,929 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 1,971 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 2,017 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1976 | 2,066 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1977 | 2,119 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1978 | 2,175 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 2,235 thousands | +2.7% |
| 1980 | 2,298 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 2,365 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 2,436 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1983 | 2,509 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 2,567 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 2,641 thousands | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 2,715 thousands | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 2,787 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 2,860 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 2,934 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 3,009 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 3,084 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 3,157 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1993 | 3,232 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 3,310 thousands | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 3,387 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 3,466 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1997 | 3,544 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 3,624 thousands | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 3,705 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 3,792 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2001 | 3,885 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 3,983 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2003 | 4,088 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 4,198 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2005 | 4,313 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 4,429 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 4,550 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 4,677 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 4,812 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 4,952 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 5,095 thousands | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 5,236 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 5,370 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 5,485 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 5,600 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 5,727 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 5,864 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 6,005 thousands | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 6,154 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 6,310 thousands | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 6,450 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2022 | 6,620 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 6,805 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 6,997 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 7,190 thousands | +2.8% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 7,190 thousands is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 516.96 thousands, 13.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 7,190 thousands is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 448.46 thousands, 16.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2,007 thousands | 1,819 thousands | 2,235 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 2,611 thousands | 2,298 thousands | 2,934 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 3,352 thousands | 3,009 thousands | 3,705 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,273 thousands | 3,792 thousands | 4,812 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,549 thousands | 4,952 thousands | 6,154 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 6,729 thousands | 6,310 thousands | 7,190 thousands | 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 population aged 65 years or older in Nigeria?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Nigeria was 7,190 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 7,190 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,819 thousands in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Nigeria ranks 24th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release