Urban population (% of total population) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Urban population (% of total population) was 63.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Urban population in Nigeria, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
In 2025, urban population in Nigeria stood at 63.8%. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 5.3% over five years.
Over the whole period, urban population in Nigeria peaked at 63.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 60.6%, in 2021.
Nigeria ranks 112th of 218 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.
Urban population (% of total population) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 14.2% | — |
| 1961 | 14.8% | +3.9% |
| 1962 | 15.4% | +3.8% |
| 1963 | 15.9% | +3.7% |
| 1964 | 16.5% | +3.6% |
| 1965 | 17.1% | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 17.7% | +3.5% |
| 1967 | 18.3% | +3.5% |
| 1968 | 18.9% | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 19.6% | +3.4% |
| 1970 | 20.2% | +3.4% |
| 1971 | 20.9% | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 21.6% | +3.3% |
| 1973 | 22.3% | +3.2% |
| 1974 | 23.0% | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 23.7% | +3.1% |
| 1976 | 24.4% | +3.1% |
| 1977 | 25.2% | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 25.9% | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 26.7% | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 27.4% | +2.8% |
| 1981 | 28.2% | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 28.9% | +2.7% |
| 1983 | 29.7% | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 30.5% | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 31.3% | +2.6% |
| 1986 | 32.1% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 32.8% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 33.6% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 34.4% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 35.2% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 36.0% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 36.7% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 37.5% | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 38.3% | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 39.1% | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 40.0% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 40.8% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 41.6% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 42.4% | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 43.3% | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 44.1% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 45.0% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 45.8% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 46.7% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 47.6% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 48.4% | +1.8% |
| 2007 | 49.2% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 50.1% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 50.9% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 51.7% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 52.5% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 53.3% | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 54.9% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 55.7% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 56.5% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 57.3% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 58.2% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 59.0% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 59.8% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 60.6% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 61.4% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 62.2% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 63.0% | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 63.8% | +1.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 63.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.9%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 63.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.9%, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 16.8% | 14.2% | 19.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 23.4% | 20.2% | 26.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.9% | 27.4% | 34.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 38.8% | 35.2% | 42.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.1% | 43.3% | 50.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.3% | 51.7% | 59.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.8% | 59.8% | 63.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
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 urban population in Nigeria?
- Urban population in Nigeria was 63.8% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 63.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest urban population recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 60.6% in 2021.
- How does Nigeria rank for urban population?
- Nigeria ranks 112th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.