Share of the population living in cities in Nigeria

Nigeria: Share of the population living in cities was 48.89 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
48.89
World rank
58th
of 229 countries
All-time high
48.89
in 2020
All-time low
9.72
in 1950
Years of data
15
1950–2020

Share of the population living in cities in Nigeria, 1950–2020

10203040501950198520201950: 9.71955: 12.11960: 15.51965: 18.71970: 22.41975: 27.31980: 30.71985: 33.41990: 35.81995: 39.42000: 41.62005: 43.62010: 46.42015: 48.42020: 48.9

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 48.89 for share of the population living in cities in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

That represents a change of up 5.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population living in cities in Nigeria peaked at 48.89 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.72, in 1950.

That places Nigeria 58th out of 229 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Share of the population living in cities in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Share of the population living in cities in Nigeria, 1950 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1950 9.72
1955 12.07 +24.2%
1960 15.54 +28.7%
1965 18.7 +20.3%
1970 22.4 +19.8%
1975 27.35 +22.1%
1980 30.67 +12.1%
1985 33.45 +9.1%
1990 35.84 +7.2%
1995 39.37 +9.9%
2000 41.6 +5.7%
2005 43.63 +4.9%
2010 46.37 +6.3%
2015 48.38 +4.4%
2020 48.89 +1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 10.89 9.72 12.07 2
1960s 17.12 15.54 18.7 2
1970s 24.87 22.4 27.35 2
1980s 32.06 30.67 33.45 2
1990s 37.61 35.84 39.37 2
2000s 42.62 41.6 43.63 2
2010s 47.38 46.37 48.38 2
2020s 48.89 48.89 48.89 1

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 55 Lebanon 50.55 compare
  2. 56 Cyprus 50.13 compare
  3. 57 Senegal 48.92 compare
  4. 59 Australia 48.86 compare
  5. 60 Ghana 48.86 compare
  6. 61 South Africa 48.81 compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population living in cities in Nigeria?
Share of the population living in cities in Nigeria was 48.89 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population living in cities recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 48.89 in 2020.
What is the lowest share of the population living in cities recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 9.72 in 1950.
How does Nigeria rank for share of the population living in cities?
Nigeria ranks 58th out of 229 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of the population living in cities rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. 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 Share of the population living in cities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of the population living in cities in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-the-population-living-in-cities/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population living in cities
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 3,540 data points, 1950–2020
Last refreshed