What is the population of Nigeria by states: Latest data as of 2024

What is the population of Nigeria by states: Latest data as of 2024

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa. Its population is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity, with more than 250 distinct ethnic groups and languages. Here is a review of the latest published data on the population of Nigeria by state.

what is the current population of nigeria
A large group of people in the Nigerian flag color form to create the map. Photo: Jelina Preethi (modified by author)
Source: UGC

Nigeria is subdivided into six regions known as geopolitical zones. The zones are further subdivided into states. There are 36 states in Nigeria today.

What is the population of Nigeria by states?

The most recent population data for all 36 states in Nigeria was gathered in 2019. Below is a list displaying the population figures for each Nigerian state.

Rank as of 2019StatesPopulation (2016)Population (2019)
1Kano State9,401,28814,253,549
2Lagos State9,113,60512,772,884
3Katsina State5,801,5849,300,382
4Kaduna State6,113,5038,324,285
5Bauchi State4,653,0667,540,663
6Oyo State5,580,8947,512,855
7Rivers State5,198,7167,034,973
8Jigawa State4,361,0026,779,080
9Niger Stat3,954,7726,220,617
10Ogun State3,751,1405,945,275
11Sokoto State3,702,6765,863,187
12Benue State4,253,6415,787,706
13Borno State4,171,1045,751,590
14Anambra State4,177,8285,599,910
15Zamfara State3,278,8735,317,793
16Delta State4,112,4455,307,543
17Imo State3,927,5635,167,722

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The following list shows the population of each state in Nigeria.

Rank as of 2019StatesPopulation (2016)Population (2019)
18Kebbi State3,256,5415,001,610
19Ondo State3,460,8774,969,707
20Akwa Ibom State3,902,0514,780,581
21Adamawa State3,178,9504,536,948
22Edo State3,233,3664,461,137
23Plateau State3,206,5314,400,974
24Enugu State3,267,8374,396,098
25Osun State3,416,9594,237,396
26Cross River State2,892,9884,175,020
27Kogi State3,314,0434,153,734
28Abia State2,845,3803,841,943
29Gombe State2,365,0403,623,462
30Yobe State2,321,3393,398,177
31Ekiti State2,398,9573,350,401
32Taraba State2,294,8003,331,885
33Kwara State2,365,3533,259,613
34Ebonyi State2,176,9473,007,155
35Nasarawa State1,869,3772,632,239
36Bayelsa State1,704,5152,394,725
-Federal Capital Territory1,406,2392,702,443

What is the total population of Nigeria?

Here is a summary table of the population of Nigeria for several years.

YearPopulationGlobal rank
2023223,804,6326
2022218,541,2126
2020208,327,4057
2015183,995,7857
2010160,952,8537
2005140,490,7229
2000122,851,98410
1995108,187,61010
199095,214,25710
198583,585,25110
198072,951,43911
197562,851,31211
197055,569,26412
196549,925,79914
196044,928,34214
195540,839,22314

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Top 20 most populated cities in Nigeria

Nigeria is known for its vibrant and diverse cities, each with a unique culture. Here are the top 20 most populated cities in Nigeria.

RankCityPopulation
1Lagos9,000,000
2Kano3,626,068
3Ibadan3,565,108
4Kaduna1,582,102
5Port Harcourt1,148,665
6Benin City1,125,058
7Maiduguri1,112,449
8Zaria975,153
9Aba897,560
10Jos816,824
11Ilorin814,192
12Oyo736,072
13Enugu688,862
14Abeokuta593,100
15Abuja590,400
16Sokoto563,861
17Onitsha561,066
18Warri536,023
19Ebute Ikorodu535,619
20Okene479,178

What is the current population of Nigeria?

Nigeria currently boasts a population of approximately 224 million, securing its place as the sixth most populous country in the world, including dependencies.

The nation's population density is 246 individuals per square kilometre (636 people per square mile). As of 2024, roughly 53.9% of the population resides in urban areas, totalling 120,696,717 people.

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total population of Nigeria
A crowded street in Nigeria. Photo: pexels.com, @Kelly
Source: UGC

What is the population of Nigeria in 2024?

As per Worldometer's analysis of the most recent United Nations data, Nigeria's current population surpasses 224 million, accounting for approximately 2.78% of the global population.

The demographic distribution of the population of Nigeria by states reflects the nation's diversity across different regions. These states serve as the foundation for equitable political, economic, and educational resource allocation within the country.

Legit.ng recently explored the main economic problems present in Nigeria. Like other middle-income nations with emerging markets, Nigeria has experienced steady growth in communication, technology, finance, manufacturing, and services sectors.

Nonetheless, the economy still grapples with persistent problems, including inadequate healthcare infrastructure, elevated crime rates, unemployment, and pervasive corruption.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
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Jackline Wangare (Lifestyle writer) Jackline Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng, where she has worked since mid-2021. She tackles diverse topics, including finance, entertainment, sports, and lifestyle. Previously, she worked at The Campanile by Kenyatta University. She has more than five years in writing. Jackline graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2019) and a Diploma in Marketing (2015) from Kenyatta University. In 2023, Jackline finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and Google News Initiative course in 2024. Email: simwajackie2022@gmail.com.

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Adrianna Simwa (Lifestyle writer) Adrianna Simwa is a content writer at Legit.ng where she has worked since mid-2022. She has written for many periodicals on a variety of subjects, including news, celebrities, and lifestyle, for more than three years. She has worked for The Hoth, The Standard Group and Triple P Media. Adrianna graduated from Nairobi University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in 2020. In 2023, Simwa finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques. You can reach her through her email: adriannasimwa@gmail.com