Share of population in cities over 1 million — all countries

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Nigeria

Share of population in cities over 1 million in Nigeria in 2025 — 17.58%. Ranked 78 in the world out of 121. Since 1960, the indicator has risen by 12.82 pp.

2025 17.58% +0.3 pp vs 2024
World rank 78of 121
Period maximum 17.58%2025
Period minimum 4.76%1960

Trend over time

1960–2025 · % of population

Share of population in cities over 1 million — Nigeria, 1960–20250510152019601967197419811988199520022009201620231960: 4.76%1962: 5.29%1964: 5.79%1966: 6.14%1968: 6.53%1970: 6.93%1972: 7.41%1974: 7.96%1976: 8.51%1978: 9.08%1980: 9.68%1982: 10.35%1984: 10.98%1986: 11.42%1988: 11.92%1990: 12.46%1992: 12.86%1994: 13.06%1996: 13.28%1998: 13.53%2000: 13.78%2002: 14.03%2004: 14.29%2006: 14.55%2008: 14.69%2010: 14.83%2012: 14.99%2014: 15.19%2016: 15.46%2018: 15.78%2020: 16.21%2022: 16.72%2024: 17.28%2025: 17.58%
Change over the period: +12.82 pp Annual average: 0.2 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Nigeria 17.58%
World 25.29%
Western Africa computed 17.01%
Share of population in cities over 1 million — Nigeria, by year Nigeria All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 17.58 +0.3 pp
2024 17.28 +0.29 pp
2023 16.99 +0.27 pp
2022 16.72 +0.26 pp
2021 16.46 +0.25 pp
2020 16.21 +0.23 pp
2019 15.99 +0.2 pp
2018 15.78 +0.17 pp
2017 15.61 +0.15 pp
2016 15.46 +0.14 pp
2015 15.32 +0.13 pp
2014 15.19 +0.11 pp
2013 15.08 +0.09 pp
2012 14.99 +0.08 pp
2011 14.91 +0.08 pp
2010 14.83 +0.07 pp
2009 14.76 +0.07 pp
2008 14.69 +0.07 pp
2007 14.62 +0.07 pp
2006 14.55 +0.12 pp
2005 14.42 +0.14 pp
2004 14.29 +0.13 pp
2003 14.15 +0.13 pp
2002 14.03 +0.13 pp
2001 13.9 +0.12 pp
2000 13.78 +0.13 pp
1999 13.65 +0.13 pp
1998 13.53 +0.12 pp
1997 13.4 +0.12 pp
1996 13.28 +0.12 pp
1995 13.17 +0.11 pp
1994 13.06 +0.1 pp
1993 12.96 +0.1 pp
1992 12.86 +0.16 pp
1991 12.7 +0.24 pp
1990 12.46 +0.27 pp
1989 12.18 +0.26 pp
1988 11.92 +0.26 pp
1987 11.67 +0.25 pp
1986 11.42 +0.23 pp
1985 11.19 +0.21 pp
1984 10.98 +0.23 pp
1983 10.75 +0.4 pp
1982 10.35 +0.35 pp
1981 10 +0.32 pp
1980 9.68 +0.31 pp
1979 9.37 +0.3 pp
1978 9.08 +0.29 pp
1977 8.79 +0.28 pp
1976 8.51 +0.28 pp
1975 8.23 +0.27 pp
1974 7.96 +0.27 pp
1973 7.68 +0.27 pp
1972 7.41 +0.27 pp
1971 7.14 +0.21 pp
1970 6.93 +0.2 pp
1969 6.73 +0.2 pp
1968 6.53 +0.2 pp
1967 6.33 +0.19 pp
1966 6.14 +0.18 pp
1965 5.96 +0.17 pp
1964 5.79 +0.22 pp
1963 5.58 +0.29 pp
1962 5.29 +0.27 pp
1961 5.02 +0.25 pp
1960 4.76

About the indicator

The share of a country's population living in urban agglomerations larger than one million people. The indicator separates countries with the same level of urbanization: in some the urban population is spread across many mid-sized cities, in others it is concentrated in one or two agglomerations. The highest values come from small countries with a single dominant city, where the capital agglomeration holds more than half of the country.

Important: Countries without agglomerations of this size are absent from the series rather than entered as zero. The aggregate for a group of countries is therefore calculated only where coverage is sufficient: averaging the countries that do have million-plus cities would overstate the share.

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