Population aged 65 and over — all countries

Population aged 65 and over — Nigeria

Population aged 65 and over in Nigeria in 2025 — 7,291,002 people. Ranked 24 in the world out of 217. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 386.1%.

2025 7.29M people +2.78% vs 2024
World rank 24of 217
Period maximum 7.29M people2025
Period minimum 1.5M people1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · people

Population aged 65 and over — Nigeria, 1960–202502M4M6M8M19601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 1,500,022 people1962: 1,580,575 people1964: 1,657,150 people1966: 1,722,410 people1968: 1,774,391 people1970: 1,835,234 people1972: 1,908,391 people1974: 1,994,367 people1976: 2,092,400 people1978: 2,204,743 people1980: 2,331,757 people1982: 2,472,360 people1984: 2,603,997 people1986: 2,750,566 people1988: 2,896,564 people1990: 3,046,409 people1992: 3,194,514 people1994: 3,348,371 people1996: 3,505,187 people1998: 3,664,444 people2000: 3,838,565 people2002: 4,035,341 people2004: 4,255,479 people2006: 4,489,450 people2008: 4,744,565 people2010: 5,023,234 people2012: 5,303,037 people2014: 5,542,496 people2016: 5,795,476 people2018: 6,079,478 people2020: 6,379,893 people2022: 6,712,250 people2024: 7,093,611 people2025: 7,291,002 people
Change over the period: +5.79M (+386.06%) Average annual rate: 2.46 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Nigeria

Nigeria 7.29M people
World 855M people
Sub-Saharan Africa 42.72M people
Western Africa computed 14.29M people
Lower-middle-income countries computed 210M people
Population aged 65 and over — Nigeria, by year Nigeria All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 7.29M +197,391 +2.78%
2024 7.09M +192,944 +2.8%
2023 6.9M +188,417 +2.81%
2022 6.71M +177,484 +2.72%
2021 6.53M +154,873 +2.43%
2020 6.38M +147,936 +2.37%
2019 6.23M +152,479 +2.51%
2018 6.08M +145,058 +2.44%
2017 5.93M +138,944 +2.4%
2016 5.8M +131,979 +2.33%
2015 5.66M +121,001 +2.18%
2014 5.54M +114,980 +2.12%
2013 5.43M +124,479 +2.35%
2012 5.3M +137,432 +2.66%
2011 5.17M +142,371 +2.83%
2010 5.02M +141,604 +2.9%
2009 4.88M +137,065 +2.89%
2008 4.74M +131,028 +2.84%
2007 4.61M +124,087 +2.76%
2006 4.49M +118,484 +2.71%
2005 4.37M +115,487 +2.71%
2004 4.26M +112,524 +2.72%
2003 4.14M +107,614 +2.67%
2002 4.04M +101,318 +2.58%
2001 3.93M +95,458 +2.49%
2000 3.84M +89,883 +2.4%
1999 3.75M +84,238 +2.3%
1998 3.66M +80,429 +2.24%
1997 3.58M +78,828 +2.25%
1996 3.51M +78,565 +2.29%
1995 3.43M +78,251 +2.34%
1994 3.35M +77,614 +2.37%
1993 3.27M +76,243 +2.39%
1992 3.19M +73,954 +2.37%
1991 3.12M +74,151 +2.43%
1990 3.05M +75,228 +2.53%
1989 2.97M +74,617 +2.58%
1988 2.9M +73,530 +2.6%
1987 2.82M +72,468 +2.63%
1986 2.75M +72,697 +2.71%
1985 2.68M +73,872 +2.84%
1984 2.6M +66,063 +2.6%
1983 2.54M +65,574 +2.65%
1982 2.47M +71,861 +2.99%
1981 2.4M +68,742 +2.95%
1980 2.33M +65,387 +2.89%
1979 2.27M +61,627 +2.8%
1978 2.2M +57,920 +2.7%
1977 2.15M +54,423 +2.6%
1976 2.09M +50,681 +2.48%
1975 2.04M +47,352 +2.37%
1974 1.99M +44,399 +2.28%
1973 1.95M +41,577 +2.18%
1972 1.91M +38,289 +2.05%
1971 1.87M +34,868 +1.9%
1970 1.84M +31,722 +1.76%
1969 1.8M +29,121 +1.64%
1968 1.77M +25,752 +1.47%
1967 1.75M +26,229 +1.52%
1966 1.72M +31,146 +1.84%
1965 1.69M +34,114 +2.06%
1964 1.66M +36,938 +2.28%
1963 1.62M +39,637 +2.51%
1962 1.58M +40,519 +2.63%
1961 1.54M +40,034 +2.67%
1960 1.5M

About the indicator

The population aged 65 and over. In absolute numbers this group is growing faster than any other: it expands both from the rise in life expectancy and from the entry of the large cohorts born in the middle of the 20th century. Japan and Italy lead by share of population, China and India by absolute number, and the divergence of the two rankings shows where the load on health care and pensions is larger in scale and where it is sharper.

Important: The threshold of 65 years is an international convention and is not tied to the retirement age of any particular country.

Source: World Population Prospects (UN), license CC BY 3.0 IGO.