Economy · Population · Nigeria
Nigeria’s population rose to 237.5 m people in 2025.
237.5 m people
2025
Up 4.8 m people from 2024.
Updated 8 Oct 2026
In plain words
237.5 m people
What it is. Population is the total number of people estimated to be living in Nigeria, expressed in millions. It is a single headcount for the whole country. It leaves out age, where people live and how well they live, so it describes the scale of the country rather than its condition.
Neither way is good in itself. A larger population can mean more workers and more customers, and it can also mean more people needing food, schooling and jobs, so the direction carries no verdict by itself. The latest figure is 237.5 million people for 2025, up from 232.7 million a year earlier. That is a rise of 4.8 million, or 2.1%. Since 2016 the series has climbed from a low of 195.4 million, and the latest reading is the highest in that span.
Why it matters. A rise of 4.8 million in a year means many more households looking for homes, work and school places. Firms serve a bigger pool of customers and potential employees. The state has to stretch health, education and infrastructure across 237.5 million people.
| Period | Population · Nigeria |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 195.4 m people |
| 2017 | 200.3 m people |
| 2018 | 204.9 m people |
| 2019 | 209.5 m people |
| 2020 | 214 m people |
| 2021 | 218.5 m people |
| 2022 | 223.2 m people |
| 2023 | 227.9 m people |
| 2024 | 232.7 m people |
| 2025 | 237.5 m people |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Licence: CC BY 4.0
How to read this number
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Every change is logged in Corrections. How the figure is made: Methodology.
Cite this number
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Strata-AF™ Data, Population, Nigeria, 2025; source World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0), retrieved 8 Oct 2026; https://data.strata-af.com/economy/population/nigeria
Data insights · Worked out from the published figures
What this means
Working this out from the published figures…
Strata AI commentary is coming — reviewed, dated, and generated only from the figures on this page.
Methodology
Total population, mid-year estimate. Unit: m people.
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (series SP.POP.TOTL), retrieved through the World Bank API and published under CC BY 4.0. Updated annually; the World Bank's own source notes apply.