Population Pyramids of the World from 1950 to 2100

Nigeria Population Pyramid 1979

Nigeria
Afghanistan Africa Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Asia Australia Australia/New Zealand Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bhutan Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Caribbean Central African Republic Central America Central Asia Chad Channel Islands Chile China China, Hong Kong SAR China, Macao SAR Colombia Comoros Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czech Republic Côte d'Ivoire Dem. People's Republic of Korea Democratic Republic of the Congo Denmark Djibouti Dominican Republic Eastern Africa Eastern Asia Eastern Europe Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Europe Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran (Islamic Republic of) Iraq Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latin America and the Caribbean Latvia Least developed countries Lebanon Lesotho Less developed regions Less developed regions, excluding China Less developed regions, excluding least developed countries Liberia Libya Lithuania Luxembourg Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Melanesia Mexico Micronesia Micronesia (Fed. States of) Middle Africa Mongolia Montenegro More developed regions Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Northern Africa Northern America Northern Europe Norway Oceania Oman Other non-specified areas Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Polynesia Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Republic of Korea Republic of Moldova Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South America South Sudan South-Central Asia South-Eastern Asia Southern Africa Southern Asia Southern Europe Spain Sri Lanka State of Palestine Sub-Saharan Africa Sudan Suriname Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic TFYR Macedonia Tajikistan Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United Republic of Tanzania United States Virgin Islands United States of America Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Viet Nam Western Africa Western Asia Western Europe Western Sahara World Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
1979
Population: 71,498,241

Year

-5 -1   1979  +1 +5

Country

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
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Summary

Nigeria in 1979

In 1979, Nigeria had a total population of 71,498,242 people. Over the previous ten years the population grew by 30.9%, up from 54,631,914 in 1969.

Half of the population was younger than 17.9 years; 44.4% were children under 15 and 3.2% were 65 or older. This is an expansive pyramid — each cohort of children is larger than the one above it, the signature of high birth rates and rapid growth.

Ranks #11 of 201 by population Ranks #136 of 201 by median age Ranks #66 of 201 by growth

Share of the population by age group, 1950–2100

Data source: United Nations World Population Prospects, 2024 revision (medium variant) — last updated July 2024.

Key indicators for Nigeria
Population
71,498,242
Median age
17.9
0-14 %
44.4%
65+ %
3.2%
Child dependency
84.7
Old-age dependency
6.0
Region
AFRICA
Pyramid shape
Expansive
Population 2050
359,185,556
Population 2100
476,747,781
What is driving the change
Births per woman
Total fertility rate, 1960–2023
1234567
1960Replacement level (2.1)2023 · 4.48

In 2023 women in Nigeria had on average 4.48 children, above the replacement level of 2.1.

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.

Life expectancy at birth
Years, 1960–2023
Total Women Men
30405060
19602023 · 54.5

A child born there in 2023 could expect to live 54.5 years on average (54.7 years for girls, 54.2 for boys).

Source: World Bank World Development Indicators, latest available year.

People supported per 100 workers
Dependency ratios, 1950–2100
Children Older adults
22456890
19502100
Migration to and from Nigeria
Where immigrants come from (2024)

1,262,314 immigrants live in Nigeria, 0.5% of the population.

Benin404,468
Ghana255,531
Mali184,965
Togo169,717
Niger129,540
Where emigrants live (2024)

2,094,162 people born in Nigeria live in other countries.

United States of America565,053
United Kingdom324,007
Niger199,722
Cameroon188,266
Italy112,792
Explore
Immigration statistics Origin of migrant stocks map

Source: United Nations International Migrant Stock 2024.

How Nigeria compares with its neighbours
Country Population Median age Relative size
Nigeria 71,498,242 17.9
Ghana 11,597,256 16.5
Côte d'Ivoire 7,902,268 16.7
Mali 7,375,266 18.3
Burkina Faso 6,763,903 17.7
Frequently asked questions about Nigeria's population
What was the population of Nigeria in 1979?
Nigeria had a population of 71,498,242 in 1979.
Is Nigeria's population growing or shrinking?
Nigeria's population grew 30.9% over the previous ten years, and is projected to reach 359,185,556 by 2050.
How old is the population of Nigeria?
Nigeria's median age is 17.9 years.
How many children and older people live in Nigeria?
In Nigeria, 44.4% of people are under 15 and 3.2% are 65 or older.
What type of population pyramid does Nigeria have?
Nigeria's pyramid is expansive — broad at the bottom, the signature of high birth rates and a growing population.

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