Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Nigeria
Nigeria: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 17.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Nigeria, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Nigeria stood at 17.6%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 14.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Nigeria peaked at 17.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 1960.
Nigeria ranks 78th of 121 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4.8% | — |
| 1961 | 5.0% | +5.3% |
| 1962 | 5.3% | +5.4% |
| 1963 | 5.6% | +5.5% |
| 1964 | 5.8% | +3.9% |
| 1965 | 6.0% | +3.0% |
| 1966 | 6.1% | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 6.3% | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 6.5% | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 6.7% | +3.1% |
| 1970 | 6.9% | +3.0% |
| 1971 | 7.1% | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 7.4% | +3.7% |
| 1973 | 7.7% | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 8.0% | +3.6% |
| 1975 | 8.2% | +3.4% |
| 1976 | 8.5% | +3.4% |
| 1977 | 8.8% | +3.3% |
| 1978 | 9.1% | +3.2% |
| 1979 | 9.4% | +3.3% |
| 1980 | 9.7% | +3.3% |
| 1981 | 10.0% | +3.3% |
| 1982 | 10.3% | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 10.7% | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 11.0% | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 11.2% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 11.4% | +2.1% |
| 1987 | 11.7% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 11.9% | +2.2% |
| 1989 | 12.2% | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 12.5% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 12.7% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 12.9% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 13.0% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 13.1% | +0.8% |
| 1995 | 13.2% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 13.3% | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 13.4% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 13.5% | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 13.7% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 13.8% | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 13.9% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 14.0% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 14.2% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 14.3% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 14.4% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 14.5% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 14.6% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 14.7% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 14.8% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 14.8% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 14.9% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 15.0% | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 15.1% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 15.2% | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 15.3% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 15.5% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 15.6% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 15.8% | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 16.0% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 16.2% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 16.5% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 16.7% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 17.0% | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 17.3% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 17.6% | +1.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 17.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.9%, 93% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 17.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.8%, 1.2× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.8% | 4.8% | 6.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.1% | 6.9% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 11.0% | 9.7% | 12.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 13.1% | 12.5% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.3% | 13.8% | 14.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.3% | 14.8% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.2% | 17.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 75 Hungary 18.7% compare
- 76 Côte d'Ivoire 18.5% compare
- 77 El Salvador 17.8% compare
- 79 Guatemala 17.3% compare
- 80 Bangladesh 17.3% compare
- 81 India 17.0% compare
More climate change data for Nigeria
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 608.40 million kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 66,810 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 24,814 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 41,996 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 93.64 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 1,500 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 22,614 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 7,292 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 15,322 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 27.52 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Nigeria?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in Nigeria was 17.6% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 17.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 1960.
- How does Nigeria rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- Nigeria ranks 78th out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.