According to the latest United Nations estimates, Nigeria’s population is projected to hit 237,527,782 by 2025, marking a slight increase from 235,072,214 in December 2024. This projection, based on Worldometer’s data, indicates a population growth of 4,796,533 between 2023 and 2024 alone.
The new figures also highlight Nigeria’s position as the world’s sixth most populous country, accounting for 2.85% of the global population. Among the most populated Nigerian cities, Lagos leads with 15,388,000 residents, followed by Kano with 4,910,000, Ibadan with 3,649,000, Abuja with 2,690,000, and Port Harcourt with 2,120,000.
The report further notes that 53.9% of Nigeria’s population resides in urban areas, which equates to approximately 125.4 million people in 2024. Nigeria’s population density stands at 255 people per square kilometer (662 per square mile), with a total land area of 910,770 square kilometers (351,650 square miles).
The demographic breakdown also reveals that Nigeria has a median age of 17.9 years, and life expectancy at birth for both genders is 54.6 years—54.9 years for females and 54.3 years for males.
In global terms, the U.S. Census Bureau also reported that the world population increased by over 71 million people in 2024, slightly slower than the 75 million increase observed in 2023. The world population is projected to reach 8.09 billion by January 1, 2025.
