Nigeria — Population growth
Population Growth (Annual %) for Nigeria, 1961–2025.
Population growth for Nigeria was 2.06% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 65 years, from 1961 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 3.12% in 1980. The lowest was 2.06% in 1961 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.01% per year.
Nigeria ranks 45 of 217 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 21%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 2.30%, so Nigeria sits below it. It peaked in 1980 and has fallen 34% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 19%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 32 of 48 economies; Namibia (2.05%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 13% in 1983. That is 7% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 122nd of 216 in 1961 → 98th of 216 in 1970 → 39th of 216 in 1980 → 62nd of 216 in 1990 → 37th of 217 in 2000 → 33rd of 217 in 2010 → 46th of 217 in 2020 → 45th of 217 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1961 to 2025
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.06% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 2.08% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 2.1% | +0.0 pp |
| 2022 | 2.09% | -0.0 pp |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -0.0 pp |
| 2020 | 2.13% | -0.1 pp |
| 2019 | 2.19% | -0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 2.31% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 2.43% | -0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 2.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 2.54% | -0.1 pp |
| 2014 | 2.64% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 2.71% | -0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 2.77% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 2.8% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 2.8% | +0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 2.79% | +0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 2.78% | +0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 2.77% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 2.76% | -0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 2.77% | -0.0 pp |
| 2004 | 2.77% | +0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 2.76% | +0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 2.74% | +0.0 pp |
| 2001 | 2.72% | +0.0 pp |
| 2000 | 2.67% | +0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 2.64% | +0.0 pp |
| 1998 | 2.61% | +0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 2.6% | -0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 2.61% | -0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 2.64% | -0.0 pp |
| 1994 | 2.64% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 2.65% | +0.0 pp |
| 1992 | 2.63% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 2.64% | -0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 2.7% | +0.0 pp |
| 1989 | 2.69% | +0.0 pp |
| 1988 | 2.67% | +0.0 pp |
| 1987 | 2.66% | -0.1 pp |
| 1986 | 2.72% | -0.1 pp |
| 1985 | 2.83% | +0.3 pp |
| 1984 | 2.56% | -0.0 pp |
| 1983 | 2.59% | -0.4 pp |
| 1982 | 2.99% | -0.1 pp |
| 1981 | 3.07% | -0.0 pp |
| 1980 | 3.12% | +0.0 pp |
| 1979 | 3.08% | +0.0 pp |
| 1978 | 3.06% | +0.1 pp |
| 1977 | 2.98% | +0.1 pp |
| 1976 | 2.87% | +0.1 pp |
| 1975 | 2.77% | +0.1 pp |
| 1974 | 2.62% | +0.1 pp |
| 1973 | 2.49% | +0.1 pp |
| 1972 | 2.4% | +0.1 pp |
| 1971 | 2.34% | +0.1 pp |
| 1970 | 2.28% | +0.1 pp |
| 1969 | 2.22% | +0.1 pp |
| 1968 | 2.16% | +0.0 pp |
| 1967 | 2.14% | -0.0 pp |
| 1966 | 2.18% | +0.0 pp |
| 1965 | 2.17% | +0.0 pp |
| 1964 | 2.14% | +0.0 pp |
| 1963 | 2.12% | +0.0 pp |
| 1962 | 2.1% | +0.0 pp |
| 1961 | 2.06% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Nigeria’s Population growth in 1962?
2.1% (1962). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in annual %, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Nigeria’s Population growth growing or shrinking?
Between 1961 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +0.3% in total.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SP.POP.GROW. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 2.06%; 2024: 2.08%; 2023: 2.1%; 2022: 2.09%; 2021: 2.1%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SP.POP.GROW — Population Growth (Annual %). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.