Prison population rate in Nigeria
Nigeria: Prison population rate was 33 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
33
Change on year
down 5.7%
World rank
197th
of 202 countries
All-time high
38
in 2018
All-time low
27
in 2008
Years of data
13
2000–2025
Prison population rate in Nigeria, 2000–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, prison population rate in Nigeria stood at 33.
The figure is down 5.7% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prison population rate in Nigeria peaked at 38 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 27, in 2008.
Nigeria ranks 197th of 202 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Prison population rate in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 36 | — |
| 2002 | 31 | -13.9% |
| 2004 | 29 | -6.5% |
| 2006 | 29 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 27 | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 29 | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 31 | +6.9% |
| 2014 | 32 | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 34 | +6.2% |
| 2018 | 38 | +11.8% |
| 2020 | 30 | -21.1% |
| 2022 | 35 | +16.7% |
| 2025 | 33 | -5.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 33 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 106, 31% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 33 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 90, 37% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.4 | 27 | 36 | 5 |
| 2010s | 32.8 | 29 | 38 | 5 |
| 2020s | 32.67 | 30 | 35 | 3 |
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 prison population rate in Nigeria?
- Prison population rate in Nigeria was 33 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest prison population rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 38 in 2018.
- What is the lowest prison population rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 27 in 2008.
- How does Nigeria rank for prison population rate?
- Nigeria ranks 197th out of 202 countries with data for 2025.
- Is prison population rate rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. 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 Prison population rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).