Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 was 63.8% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
63.8%
Change on year
up 1.3%
World rank
128th
of 238 countries
All-time high
63.8%
in 2025
All-time low
0.0%
in 1000
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Nigeria, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Nigeria stood at 63.8%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Nigeria peaked at 63.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1000.
That places Nigeria 128th out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 0.0% | — |
| 1100 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1200 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1300 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1400 | 0.0% | +200.0% |
| 1500 | 0.1% | +200.0% |
| 1600 | 0.3% | +200.0% |
| 1700 | 1.0% | +200.0% |
| 1710 | 1.1% | +12.7% |
| 1720 | 1.2% | +9.5% |
| 1730 | 1.3% | +9.5% |
| 1740 | 1.5% | +9.5% |
| 1750 | 1.6% | +9.5% |
| 1760 | 1.8% | +9.5% |
| 1770 | 1.9% | +9.5% |
| 1780 | 2.1% | +9.5% |
| 1790 | 2.3% | +9.5% |
| 1800 | 2.5% | +9.5% |
| 1810 | 2.8% | +9.5% |
| 1820 | 3.0% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 3.3% | +9.5% |
| 1840 | 3.6% | +9.5% |
| 1850 | 4.0% | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 4.4% | +9.5% |
| 1870 | 4.8% | +9.5% |
| 1880 | 5.2% | +9.5% |
| 1890 | 5.7% | +9.5% |
| 1900 | 6.3% | +9.5% |
| 1910 | 6.9% | +9.5% |
| 1920 | 7.5% | +9.5% |
| 1930 | 8.2% | +9.5% |
| 1940 | 9.0% | +9.5% |
| 1950 | 10.1% | +12.0% |
| 1951 | 10.4% | +2.5% |
| 1952 | 10.7% | +2.6% |
| 1953 | 11.0% | +2.9% |
| 1954 | 11.3% | +3.3% |
| 1955 | 11.7% | +3.6% |
| 1956 | 12.2% | +3.8% |
| 1957 | 12.6% | +3.9% |
| 1958 | 13.2% | +4.0% |
| 1959 | 13.7% | +4.0% |
| 1960 | 14.2% | +4.0% |
| 1961 | 14.8% | +3.9% |
| 1962 | 15.4% | +3.8% |
| 1963 | 15.9% | +3.7% |
| 1964 | 16.5% | +3.6% |
| 1965 | 17.1% | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 17.7% | +3.5% |
| 1967 | 18.3% | +3.5% |
| 1968 | 18.9% | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 19.6% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 20.2% | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 20.9% | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 21.6% | +3.3% |
| 1973 | 22.3% | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 23.0% | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 23.7% | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 24.4% | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 25.2% | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 25.9% | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 26.7% | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 27.4% | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 28.2% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 28.9% | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 29.7% | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 31.3% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 32.1% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 32.8% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 33.6% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 34.4% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 35.2% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 36.0% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 36.7% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 37.5% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 38.3% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 39.1% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 40.0% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 40.8% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 41.6% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 42.4% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 43.3% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 44.1% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 45.0% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 45.8% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 46.7% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 48.4% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 50.9% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 51.7% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 52.5% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 53.3% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 54.9% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 55.7% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 56.5% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 57.3% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 58.2% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 59.0% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 60.6% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 61.4% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 62.2% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 63.0% | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 63.8% | +1.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 63.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 63.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1100 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1200 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1300 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1400 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| 1500 | +200.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| 1600 | +200.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
| 1600s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
| 1700s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1720s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 1730s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 1740s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 1750s | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 1 |
| 1760s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
| 1770s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 1780s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 1790s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
| 1800s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1810s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 1820s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1830s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 1 |
| 1840s | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 1 |
| 1850s | 4.0% | 4.0% | 4.0% | 1 |
| 1860s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
| 1870s | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 1 |
| 1880s | 5.2% | 5.2% | 5.2% | 1 |
| 1890s | 5.7% | 5.7% | 5.7% | 1 |
| 1900s | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 1 |
| 1910s | 6.9% | 6.9% | 6.9% | 1 |
| 1920s | 7.5% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 1 |
| 1930s | 8.2% | 8.2% | 8.2% | 1 |
| 1940s | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 11.7% | 10.1% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 1960s | 16.8% | 14.2% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 23.4% | 20.2% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.9% | 27.4% | 34.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.8% | 35.2% | 42.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.1% | 43.3% | 50.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.3% | 51.7% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.8% | 59.8% | 63.8% | 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 share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Nigeria?
- Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 in Nigeria was 63.8% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 63.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1000.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050?
- Nigeria ranks 128th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050 rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population living in urban areas projected to 2050. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.