Population in the largest city in Nigeria
Nigeria: Population in the largest city was 6.97 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
6.97
World rank
172nd
of 179 countries
All-time high
8.23
in 1995
All-time low
2.65
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020
Population in the largest city in Nigeria, 1950–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in the largest city in Nigeria is 6.97, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in the largest city in Nigeria peaked at 8.23 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 2.65, in 1950.
Nigeria ranks 172nd of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Population in the largest city in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.65 | — |
| 1955 | 3.21 | +21.0% |
| 1960 | 4.13 | +28.5% |
| 1965 | 4.91 | +19.1% |
| 1970 | 5.13 | +4.5% |
| 1975 | 5.75 | +12.1% |
| 1980 | 6.43 | +11.8% |
| 1985 | 7.27 | +12.9% |
| 1990 | 8.05 | +10.7% |
| 1995 | 8.23 | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 8.12 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 7.93 | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 7.64 | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 7.23 | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 6.97 | -3.6% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 6.97 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.93, 28% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 6.97 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.91, 24% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.93 | 2.65 | 3.21 | 2 |
| 1960s | 4.52 | 4.13 | 4.91 | 2 |
| 1970s | 5.44 | 5.13 | 5.75 | 2 |
| 1980s | 6.85 | 6.43 | 7.27 | 2 |
| 1990s | 8.14 | 8.05 | 8.23 | 2 |
| 2000s | 8.02 | 7.93 | 8.12 | 2 |
| 2010s | 7.43 | 7.23 | 7.64 | 2 |
| 2020s | 6.97 | 6.97 | 6.97 | 1 |
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)
- Population growth rate 0.023 (2100)
- Population density 523.46 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 32.05 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in the largest city in Nigeria?
- Population in the largest city in Nigeria was 6.97 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population in the largest city recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.23 in 1995.
- What is the lowest population in the largest city recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.65 in 1950.
- How does Nigeria rank for population in the largest city?
- Nigeria ranks 172nd out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is population in the largest city rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Population in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).