Rural population in Nigeria
Nigeria: Rural population was 45.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
45.0%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
80th
of 214 countries
All-time high
82.2%
in 1970
All-time low
45.0%
in 2024
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Rural population in Nigeria, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 45.0% for rural population in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in Nigeria peaked at 82.2% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 45.0%, in 2024.
Nigeria ranks 80th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 82.2% | — |
| 1971 | 81.8% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 81.5% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 81.0% | -0.5% |
| 1974 | 80.6% | -0.5% |
| 1975 | 80.2% | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 79.8% | -0.5% |
| 1977 | 79.4% | -0.5% |
| 1978 | 78.9% | -0.6% |
| 1979 | 78.5% | -0.6% |
| 1980 | 78.0% | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 77.3% | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 76.6% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 75.9% | -1.0% |
| 1984 | 75.1% | -1.0% |
| 1985 | 74.4% | -1.0% |
| 1986 | 73.6% | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 72.8% | -1.1% |
| 1988 | 72.0% | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 71.2% | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 70.3% | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 69.8% | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 69.3% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 68.8% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 68.3% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 67.8% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 67.3% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 66.8% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 66.2% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 65.7% | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 65.2% | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 64.3% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 63.5% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 62.6% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 61.8% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 60.9% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 60.1% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 59.2% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 58.3% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 57.4% | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 56.5% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 55.6% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 54.8% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 53.9% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 53.0% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 52.2% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 51.3% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 50.5% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 49.7% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 48.8% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 48.0% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 47.3% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 46.5% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 45.7% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 45.0% | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 80.4% | 78.5% | 82.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 74.7% | 71.2% | 78.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 68.0% | 65.7% | 70.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 61.3% | 57.4% | 65.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.6% | 48.8% | 56.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.5% | 45.0% | 48.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More population data for Nigeria
- 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)
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.023 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 2.22 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate -2.23 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in Nigeria?
- Rural population in Nigeria was 45.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 82.2% in 1970.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.0% in 2024.
- How does Nigeria rank for rural population?
- Nigeria ranks 80th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release