Nigeria at its true size
Nigeria covers 923,768 km², number 31 of 194 countries by area. Home to 237,527,782 people (2025). Sitting near the equator, it is one of the few places Mercator gets almost right.
Equal-area projection · Natural Earth 50m
| Area | 923,768 km² Wikidata |
|---|---|
| Population | 237,527,782 World Bank, 2025 |
| Density | 257 per km² |
| Capital | Abuja |
| Local time in Abuja | |
| Time zone | UTC+1 IANA |
| Currency | Nigerian naira (NGN) Wikidata |
| Languages | English |
| Traffic | On the right |
| Region | Western Africa, Africa |
| Status | Independent state |
| Member of | OPEC |
| Coast | Has a coastline |
| Calling code | +234 |
| Codes | NG · NGA · 566 |
Weather in Abuja now
Now
—Loading the forecast…
The next three days
Weather data: MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated hourly · Temperatures on the map
Where Nigeria ranks
Among the independent states, in 42 rankings. Each links to its table.
People
- Population#6 of 194238 million people#1 of 54 in Africa
- Population density#38 of 194257 people per km²#6 of 54 in Africa
- Urban population#93 of 19264% urban#13 of 54 in Africa
- Fertility rate#15 of 1924.38 births per woman#13 of 54 in Africa
- Population growth#44 of 192+2.06% a year#32 of 54 in Africa
- Birth rate#20 of 19232.5 births per 1,000 people#18 of 54 in Africa
- Death rate#20 of 19211.6 deaths per 1,000 people#1 of 54 in Africa
- Children under 15#19 of 19240.5% under 15#17 of 54 in Africa
- People over 65#166 of 1923.1% aged 65 and over#35 of 54 in Africa
- Net migration#78 of 192−0.1 per 1,000 people#14 of 54 in Africa
- Refugees abroad#43 of 1902.01 refugees abroad per 1,000 people#19 of 54 in Africa
Health & education
Economy
- GNI per capita#159 of 185$1,360 a person#29 of 52 in Africa
- Internet users#153 of 18441% online#26 of 52 in Africa
- GDP per capita (PPP)#128 of 184$9,532 a person#16 of 52 in Africa
- GDP growth#69 of 187+4.0% a year#31 of 52 in Africa
- Inflation#10 of 176+23.0% a year#6 of 50 in Africa
- Unemployment#137 of 1783.1% of the labour force#39 of 53 in Africa
- Extreme poverty#17 of 14941.8% under $3.00 a day#17 of 47 in Africa
- Income inequality (Gini)#80 of 149a Gini index of 33.9#38 of 47 in Africa
- Jobs in agriculture#52 of 17833.5% of jobs#34 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in industry#113 of 17817.0% of jobs#21 of 53 in Africa
- Jobs in services#122 of 17849.5% of jobs#19 of 53 in Africa
- Foreign investment#112 of 1841.4% of GDP#36 of 52 in Africa
- Military spending#119 of 1550.9% of GDP#35 of 50 in Africa
- Mobile subscriptions#157 of 19171 subscriptions per 100 people#37 of 54 in Africa
Energy & environment
- CO₂ per person#146 of 1850.57 tonnes a person#24 of 53 in Africa
- Forest area#122 of 19219% forest#29 of 54 in Africa
- Renewable energy#16 of 19080.3% renewable#14 of 54 in Africa
- Access to electricity#160 of 19262.5% with electricity#25 of 54 in Africa
- Air pollution (PM2.5)#4 of 19165.7 µg/m³#1 of 54 in Africa
- Protected land#124 of 19113.9% of the land protected#31 of 54 in Africa
- Arable land#13 of 19040.8% of the land arable#7 of 54 in Africa
- Water stress#92 of 1769.7% of its available fresh water#24 of 53 in Africa
- Precipitation#80 of 1801,150 mm a year#22 of 54 in Africa
Governance & safety
Countries of a similar size
Every country within 25% of Nigeria’s area, lit up on the map →
- Venezuela1.01×Nigeria and Venezuela are almost exactly the same size.
- Tanzania0.98×Nigeria and Tanzania are almost exactly the same size.
- Pakistan1.05×Nigeria is 5% larger than Pakistan.
- Egypt0.91×Nigeria is 9% smaller than Egypt.
- Mauritania0.9×Nigeria is 10% smaller than Mauritania.
- Namibia1.12×Nigeria is 12% larger than Namibia.
How many times does Nigeria fit into…
- Russia: about 18 times
- Canada: about 11 times
- United States: about 11 times
The land itself
Rivers, summits and lakes Nigeria shares with the rest of the world. Turn on “Rivers & lakes” and “Physical names” in the atlas to see them on the map.
Rivers
- Niger4,180 km
- Benue1,370 km
Summits
- Chappal Waddi2,419 m
- Mount Dimlang2,042 m
Lakes
- Lake Chad1,540 km²
- Kainji Reservoir1,150 km²
Rivers are listed by the published length of their whole course, not the part inside Nigeria. Figures from Wikidata, features from Natural Earth.
Neighbours
Questions about Nigeria
- How big is Nigeria?
- Nigeria covers 923,768 km², which makes it number 31 of 194 countries by area. About 237,527,782 people live there (2025), 257 per km².
- Is Nigeria bigger than Venezuela?
- Nigeria and Venezuela are almost exactly the same size. Nigeria: 923,768 km²; Venezuela: 912,050 km².
- How much does the Mercator map distort Nigeria?
- Nigeria lies close to the equator, so Mercator draws it at nearly its true size. It is the countries far from the equator that Mercator inflates.
- Which countries border Nigeria?
- Nigeria shares a land border with Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Benin.