Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Demographics of Nigeria - statistics & facts
Nigeria is the country with the highest population in Africa. In 2024, its population amounted to over 227 million and was estimated to constantly increase in the next decades. By 2050, this figure considerably increase to reach around 380 million people. In fact, in the last 50 years, Nigeria's population has grown at a very high rate. The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos, which is also the largest city in all of Sub-Saharan Africa. Abuja, the Capital City of Nigeria, counted about 1.2 million inhabitants in 2022, ranking seventh among the largest cities of Nigeria.
One of the youngest populations in the world
One main feature which characterizes Nigeria's demographics is the youthfulness of the population. In 2030, the median age of the population is forecast to reach 18.3 years, meaning that about half of the population would be aged under 18.5 years. Nigeria represents the 19th country with the lowest median age in Africa. Indeed, most of the countries with the youngest median age on the African continent are also the countries with the youngest median age worldwide. A young population reflects several demographic characteristics of a country. For instance, together with a high population growth, life expectancy in Nigeria is one of the lowest globally. The average life span in Nigeria for those born in 2023 was around 62 years. Consequently, people aged 60 years and over make up a very small part of the Nigerian population.High birth rates and maternal mortality
The rapid population growth observed in Nigeria went hand in hand with a high birth rate. The crude birth rate is among the highest in Africa, reaching 34 births per 1,000 people. Nevertheless, the birth rate was projected to decline in the next decades. Although the birth rate is declining, the number of women keeps growing. In other words, despite the decreasing birth rate, more women are having children. However, many mothers in Nigeria die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. According to the latest data available, in low-income countries, the maternal mortality rate in 2017 was high, whereas, in high-income countries, the figure was lower. In Nigeria, 917 mothers per 100,000 children died from causes related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management.Large poor rural population
In 2018, Nigeria overtook India as the country with the largest population living in extreme poverty. These data are very alarming, as India has a population almost seven times higher than Nigeria. An individual is considered poor in Nigeria when less than 1.9 U.S. dollars per day are available to him or her. In total, nearly 92 million people in Nigeria lived in poverty. The majority of individuals living in poverty are concentrated in rural areas and live in large households. Moreover, further data on the poverty rate indicate that households with a male at the head are much more impacted by poverty than those with a female lead. Additionally, more people working exclusively in the agricultural sector live in poverty. The states of Sokoto and Taraba record some of the largest percentages of people living below the poverty line. The lowest poverty rates are usually found in the South and South-Western states.
