Population of Nigeria
As of August 2026, the population of Nigeria is 242.8 million. The number of inhabitants has increased by 5 million in the last year, representing a growth of 2.06%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 16.7 years in 2016 to 18.3 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 55 years and population density is 266.2 inhabitants per square kilometer.
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Population Growth
The population growth rate of Nigeria peaked in 1980, reaching around 3.15% annually, but has since declined to approximately 2.03% in 2026. However, the annual increase in the number of people continues to rise, reaching around 4.93 million in 2026.
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Life Expectancy
In Nigeria, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 49.9 years in 2006 to 55 years in 2026, representing an increase of more than 5 years over the past 2 decades.
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Most populous cities in Nigeria
Nigeria has multiple large cities with a significant number of inhabitants. The most populous city is Lagos, con una diferencia significativa sobre las demás, alcanzando approximately 15.4 million inhabitants. It is followed by Kano, Kano State with 4.9 million and Ibadan, Oyo State with 3.6 million.
These are the 20 most populous cities in Nigeria:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lagos | 15,388,000 |
| 2 | Kano, Kano State | 4,910,000 |
| 3 | Ibadan, Oyo State | 3,649,000 |
| 4 | Abuja, FCT | 2,690,000 |
| 5 | Port Harcourt, Rivers State | 2,120,000 |
| 6 | Kaduna, Kaduna State | 1,850,000 |
| 7 | Benin City, Edo State | 1,782,000 |
| 8 | Onitsha, Anambra | 1,553,000 |
| 9 | Aba, Abia State | 1,160,000 |
| 10 | Maiduguri, Borno State | 1,110,000 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Ilorin, Kwara State | 1,080,000 |
| 12 | Sokoto | 1,040,000 |
| 13 | Jos, Plateau State | 1,040,000 |
| 14 | Zaria, Kaduna State | 980,000 |
| 15 | Enugu, Enugu State | 950,000 |
| 16 | Warri, Delta | 910,000 |
| 17 | Oyo, Oyo State | 736,072 |
| 18 | Abeokuta, Ogun State | 735,000 |
| 19 | Akure, Ondo State | 730,000 |
| 20 | Bauchi | 693,700 |