Nigeria

Western Africa · Capital: Abuja

LIVE

Population now

245,492,827

As of 2026, the population of Nigeria is approximately 245,492,827 (live estimate), growing at 2.58% per year with a birth rate of 34.2 and a death rate of 8.4 per 1,000 people. The population is 50.5% male and 49.5% female, at a density of 265.8 people per km².

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Births today—

Deaths today—

Net increase today—

Growth rate / yr—

Key indicators

Birth rate: 34.2 /1,000/yr
Death rate: 8.4 /1,000/yr
Literacy: 62.0%
Smoking: 3.7%
Density: 265.8 /km²
Life expectancy: 51.6 yrs

Male —

Female —

What's trending

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Demographic profile

Nigeria is the 6th most populous of the 238 countries and territories tracked on this site, home to about 2.94% of everyone alive. Within Western Africa, it ranks 1 of 16.

Each day brings roughly 22,987 births and 5,645 deaths, adding about 6,334,035 people over a year. At the current natural-increase rate of 2.58% annually, the population would double in roughly 27 years if the rate held. Real trajectories bend as fertility, mortality and migration shift, which is why the chart below shows both history and projection.

Among its first-level divisions, the largest by our modelled allocation is Adamawa, holding an estimated 18.6% of the national population. The full breakdown of all 37 states and regions is in the table below — regional figures outside Sudan are modelled estimates built on real region names, and are flagged as such.

Literacy stands near 62.0% and adult smoking prevalence around 3.7%, with life expectancy at about 51.6 years. Baselines come from UN World Population Prospects, the World Bank, WHO surveys, WorldPop and HDX; the counters project them forward in real time — the method, and every caveat, is documented on our data sources page.

Quick answers

What is the population of Nigeria in 2026? Approximately 245,492,827 people (live projection; the counter above updates every second).

How fast is Nigeria growing? About 2.58% per year — roughly 22,987 births and 5,645 deaths every day.

What share of the world lives in Nigeria? Around 2.94% — ranked 6 worldwide by population.

Population history & projection

Breakdown by states / regions

Regional figures are modelled estimates: real region names, populations allocated from the national total. Sudan carries curated state data.

State / region	Population	Male %	Birth rate	Death rate	Education %	Smoking %
Adamawa	45,618,312	50.8%	31.6	7.6	60.9%	4.5%
Yobe	25,308,343	49.8%	33.6	7.4	56.1%	3.4%
Ekiti	17,930,241	50.2%	32.8	7.6	61.2%	3.5%
Oyo	14,040,682	50.1%	36.2	8.5	67.5%	3.6%
Gombe	11,614,879	51.4%	37.2	8.5	59.0%	2.9%
Kebbi	9,947,424	51.4%	35.0	8.7	58.3%	2.8%
Katsina	8,725,812	51.3%	32.8	9.2	68.4%	2.9%
Ebonyi	7,789,556	51.3%	34.8	9.2	56.1%	4.4%
Bauchi	7,047,467	51.0%	37.4	9.1	65.0%	3.8%
Zamfara	6,443,757	50.5%	32.6	8.1	65.3%	3.8%
Jigawa	5,942,311	50.1%	34.9	8.2	67.7%	3.2%
Niger	5,518,679	50.8%	32.5	7.8	66.2%	3.9%
Borno	5,155,696	49.5%	31.0	7.8	59.3%	3.1%
Abia	4,840,947	51.3%	35.5	8.8	66.7%	3.0%
Kaduna	4,565,219	51.3%	38.2	7.4	60.8%	3.6%
Osun	4,321,527	51.2%	31.5	7.8	61.4%	3.0%
Ondo	4,104,475	51.5%	34.4	8.2	65.1%	2.9%
Delta	3,909,827	49.4%	35.1	8.6	63.8%	3.3%
Akwa Ibom	3,734,209	49.4%	37.6	9.1	62.0%	2.9%
Bayelsa	3,574,898	51.5%	31.6	9.3	66.2%	3.7%
Kano	3,429,673	51.4%	30.6	8.1	59.4%	4.6%
Taraba	3,296,703	51.3%	33.7	8.8	57.9%	3.0%
Anambra	3,174,465	49.4%	34.3	9.2	63.5%	3.9%
Cross River	3,061,679	50.2%	30.4	8.1	56.1%	3.9%
Rivers	2,957,264	50.7%	37.4	8.1	65.5%	4.3%
Imo	2,860,301	51.1%	31.3	7.9	56.2%	4.6%
Sokoto	2,770,001	51.4%	34.9	9.3	64.1%	4.5%
Ogun	2,685,683	49.4%	34.5	9.1	67.0%	4.0%
Kogi	2,606,759	50.2%	35.8	8.2	59.8%	3.1%
Abuja Federal Capital Territory	2,532,713	49.6%	34.7	8.5	66.9%	3.2%
Kwara	2,463,098	50.1%	34.7	9.4	68.1%	3.3%
Plateau	2,397,517	50.9%	31.4	8.1	63.1%	3.8%
Lagos	2,335,620	49.4%	35.9	9.3	56.6%	4.4%
Nasarawa	2,277,100	50.6%	38.2	9.0	62.3%	4.5%
Enugu	2,221,679	50.5%	37.4	7.8	66.8%	3.0%
Benue	2,169,112	51.7%	35.7	9.1	64.2%	3.0%
Edo	2,119,179	51.2%	36.1	8.7	61.4%	4.3%

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