Population:
214,028,302 (July 2020 est.)
note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 6
[see also: Population country ranks ]

Nationality:
noun: Nigerian(s)
adjective: Nigerian

Ethnic groups:
Hausa 30%, Yoruba 15.5%, Igbo (Ibo) 15.2%, Fulani 6%, Tiv 2.4%, Kanuri/Beriberi 2.4%, Ibibio 1.8%, Ijaw/Izon 1.8%, other 24.7% (2018 est.)
note: Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups

Languages:
English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, over 500 additional indigenous languages

Religions:
Muslim 53.5%, Roman Catholic 10.6%, other Christian 35.3%, other .6% (2018 est.)

Demographic profile:
Nigeria’s population is projected to grow from more than 186 million people in 2016 to 392 million in 2050, becoming the world’s fourth most populous country. Nigeria’s sustained high population growth rate will continue for the foreseeable future because of population momentum and its high birth rate. Abuja has not successfully implemented family planning programs to reduce and space births because of a lack of political will, government financing, and the availability and affordability of services and products, as well as a cultural preference for large families. Increased educational attainment, especially among women, and improvements in health care are needed to encourage and to better enable parents to opt for smaller families.

Nigeria needs to harness the potential of its burgeoning youth population in order to boost economic development, reduce widespread poverty, and channel large numbers of unemployed youth into productive activities and away from ongoing religious and ethnic violence. While most movement of Nigerians is internal, significant emigration regionally and to the West provides an outlet for Nigerians looking for economic opportunities, seeking asylum, and increasingly pursuing higher education. Immigration largely of West Africans continues to be insufficient to offset emigration and the loss of highly skilled workers. Nigeria also is a major source, transit, and destination country for forced labor and sex trafficking.

Age structure:
0-14 years: 41.7% (male 45,571,738/female 43,674,769)
[see also: Age structure - 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 20.27% (male 22,022,660/female 21,358,753)
[see also: Age structure - 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 30.6% (male 32,808,913/female 32,686,474)
[see also: Age structure - 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 4.13% (male 4,327,847/female 4,514,264)
[see also: Age structure - 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 3.3% (male 3,329,083/female 3,733,801) (2020 est.)
[see also: Age structure - 65 years and over country ranks ]

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 88.2 (2015 est.)
[see also: Dependency ratios - total dependency ratio country ranks ]
youth dependency ratio: 83 (2015 est.)
[see also: Dependency ratios - youth dependency ratio country ranks ]
elderly dependency ratio: 5.1 (2015 est.)
[see also: Dependency ratios - elderly dependency ratio country ranks ]
potential support ratio: 19.4 (2015 est.)
[see also: Dependency ratios - potential support ratio country ranks ]

Median age:
total: 18.6 years
[see also: Median age - total country ranks ]
male: 18.4 years
[see also: Median age - male country ranks ]
female: 18.9 years (2020 est.)
[see also: Median age - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 208

Population growth rate:
2.53% (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 23
[see also: Population growth rate country ranks ]

Birth rate:
34.6 births/1,000 population (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 21
[see also: Birth rate country ranks ]

Death rate:
9.1 deaths/1,000 population (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 59
[see also: Death rate country ranks ]

Net migration rate:
-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 108
[see also: Net migration rate country ranks ]

Population distribution:
largest population of any African nation; significant population clusters are scattered throughout the country, with the highest density areas being in the south and southwest

Urbanization:
urban population: 51.2% of total population (2019)
[see also: Urbanization - urban population country ranks ]
rate of urbanization: 4.23% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)
[see also: Urbanization - rate of urbanization country ranks ]

Major urban areas - population:
13.904 million Lagos, 3.906 million Kano, 3.464 million Ibadan, 3.095 million ABUJA (capital), 2.873 million Port Harcourt, 1.676 million Benin City (2019)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio - at birth country ranks ]
0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio - 0-14 years country ranks ]
15-24 years: 1.03 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio - 15-24 years country ranks ]
25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio - 25-54 years country ranks ]
55-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio - 55-64 years country ranks ]
65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio - 65 years and over country ranks ]
total population: 102 male(s)/female (2020 est.)
[see also: Sex ratio country ranks ]

Mother's mean age at first birth:
20.3 years (2013 est.)
note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
[see also: Mother's mean age at first birth country ranks ]

Maternal mortality rate:
917 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 4
[see also: Maternal mortality rate country ranks ]

Infant mortality rate:
total: 59.8 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - total country ranks ]
male: 65.4 deaths/1,000 live births
[see also: Infant mortality rate - male country ranks ]
female: 54 deaths/1,000 live births (2020 est.)
[see also: Infant mortality rate - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 12

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 60.4 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - total population country ranks ]
male: 58.6 years
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - male country ranks ]
female: 62.3 years (2020 est.)
[see also: Life expectancy at birth - female country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 217
[See also: Healthy Life Expectancy ]
[See also: Health Performance ]

Total fertility rate:
4.72 children born/woman (2020 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 18
[see also: Total fertility rate country ranks ]

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
27.6% (2018)
[see also: Contraceptive prevalence rate country ranks ]

Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 80.8% of population
[see also: Drinking water source - improved - urban country ranks ]
rural: 57.3% of population
[see also: Drinking water source - improved - rural country ranks ]
total: 68.5% of population
unimproved:
urban: 19.2% of population
rural: 42.7% of population
total: 31.5% of population (2015 est.)

Current Health Expenditure:
3.6% (2016)
[see also: Current Health Expenditure country ranks ]

Physicians density:
0.38 physicians/1,000 population (2013)
[see also: Physicians density country ranks ]

Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 32.8% of population (2015 est.)
[see also: Sanitation facility access - improved - urban country ranks ]
rural: 25.4% of population (2015 est.)
[see also: Sanitation facility access - improved - rural country ranks ]
total: 29% of population (2015 est.)
unimproved:
urban: 67.2% of population (2015 est.)
rural: 74.6% of population (2015 est.)
total: 71% of population (2015 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
1.5% (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 31
[see also: HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
1.9 million (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 4
[see also: HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS country ranks ]

HIV/AIDS - deaths:
53,200 (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 4
[see also: HIV/AIDS - deaths country ranks ]

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: very high (2016)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E, and typhoid fever (2016)
vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever (2016)
water contact diseases: leptospirosis and schistosomiasis (2016)
animal contact diseases: rabies (2016)
respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2016)
aerosolized dust or soil contact diseases: Lassa fever (2016)
note - on 7 October 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Travel Health Notice for a Yellow Fever outbreak in Nigeria; a large, ongoing outbreak of yellow fever in Nigeria began in September 2017; the outbreak is now spread throughout the country with the Nigerian Ministry of Health reporting cases of the disease in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory; the CDC recommends travelers going to Nigeria should receive vaccination against yellow fever at least 10 days before travel and should take steps to prevent mosquito bites while there; those never vaccinated against yellow fever should avoid travel to Nigeria during the outbreak

Obesity - adult prevalence rate:
8.9% (2016)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 145
[see also: Obesity - adult prevalence rate country ranks ]

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
31.5% (2016)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 8
[see also: Children under the age of 5 years underweight country ranks ]

Education expenditures:
NA
[see also: Education expenditures country ranks ]

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 59.6%
[see also: Literacy - total population country ranks ]
male: 69.2%
[see also: Literacy - male country ranks ]
female: 49.7% (2015)
[see also: Literacy - female country ranks ]

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 9 years
[see also: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - total country ranks ]
male: 9 years
[see also: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - male country ranks ]
female: 8 years (2011)
[see also: School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) - female country ranks ]

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24
total: 12.4%
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - total country ranks ]
male: NA
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - male country ranks ]
female: NA
[see also: Unemployment, youth ages 15-24 - male country ranks ] (2016 est.)
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 112