Iran vs Nigeria: Urban area over the long-term
Iran
8,281 km² per grid cell
in 2025
Nigeria
11,202 km² per grid cell
in 2025
Iran rank
17th
Nigeria rank
14th
Urban area over the long-term over time
- Iran
- Nigeria
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 11,202 km² per grid cell against 8,281 km² per grid cell in Iran, a difference of 2,921 km² per grid cell.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.4 times Iran's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 108 shared years of data; in 1000 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 17th and Nigeria ranks 14th of 202 countries.
Across the 40 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 38 and Nigeria in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 30.81 km² per grid cell | 0.0071 km² per grid cell | 30.81 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1100s | 34.16 km² per grid cell | 0.0227 km² per grid cell | 34.14 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1200s | 37.68 km² per grid cell | 0.0726 km² per grid cell | 37.61 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1300s | 27.58 km² per grid cell | 0.2451 km² per grid cell | 27.34 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1400s | 30.85 km² per grid cell | 0.8169 km² per grid cell | 30.03 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1500s | 34.28 km² per grid cell | 2.7 km² per grid cell | 31.58 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1600s | 44.57 km² per grid cell | 10.29 km² per grid cell | 34.28 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1700s | 46.3 km² per grid cell | 39.7 km² per grid cell | 6.59 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1710s | 54.37 km² per grid cell | 44.25 km² per grid cell | 10.12 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1720s | 60.8 km² per grid cell | 47.94 km² per grid cell | 12.87 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1730s | 68 km² per grid cell | 51.93 km² per grid cell | 16.08 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1740s | 76.05 km² per grid cell | 56.24 km² per grid cell | 19.81 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1750s | 85.06 km² per grid cell | 60.9 km² per grid cell | 24.16 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1760s | 95.13 km² per grid cell | 65.94 km² per grid cell | 29.18 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1770s | 106.39 km² per grid cell | 71.39 km² per grid cell | 35 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1780s | 118.98 km² per grid cell | 77.28 km² per grid cell | 41.7 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1790s | 133.07 km² per grid cell | 83.64 km² per grid cell | 49.43 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1800s | 148.83 km² per grid cell | 90.52 km² per grid cell | 58.31 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1810s | 166.45 km² per grid cell | 97.94 km² per grid cell | 68.5 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1820s | 186.15 km² per grid cell | 105.96 km² per grid cell | 80.19 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1830s | 215.41 km² per grid cell | 114.62 km² per grid cell | 100.79 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1840s | 248.56 km² per grid cell | 123.97 km² per grid cell | 124.59 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1850s | 286.06 km² per grid cell | 134.05 km² per grid cell | 152.01 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1860s | 328.45 km² per grid cell | 152.54 km² per grid cell | 175.91 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1870s | 376.32 km² per grid cell | 174.32 km² per grid cell | 202 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1880s | 475.32 km² per grid cell | 201.24 km² per grid cell | 274.09 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1890s | 589.77 km² per grid cell | 234.38 km² per grid cell | 355.38 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1900s | 705.92 km² per grid cell | 269.15 km² per grid cell | 436.77 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1910s | 838.84 km² per grid cell | 312.45 km² per grid cell | 526.39 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1920s | 990.54 km² per grid cell | 341.09 km² per grid cell | 649.45 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1930s | 1,161 km² per grid cell | 359.04 km² per grid cell | 802.33 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1940s | 1,333 km² per grid cell | 359.04 km² per grid cell | 974.34 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1950s | 1,535 km² per grid cell | 402.15 km² per grid cell | 1,133 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1960s | 1,678 km² per grid cell | 674.33 km² per grid cell | 1,004 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1970s | 1,866 km² per grid cell | 1,062 km² per grid cell | 804.4 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1980s | 2,602 km² per grid cell | 1,796 km² per grid cell | 805.43 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 1990s | 3,855 km² per grid cell | 3,011 km² per grid cell | 843.91 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 2000s | 5,180 km² per grid cell | 4,835 km² per grid cell | 344.69 km² per grid cell | Iran |
| 2010s | 6,621 km² per grid cell | 7,525 km² per grid cell | 904.13 km² per grid cell | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 7,890 km² per grid cell | 10,243 km² per grid cell | 2,353 km² per grid cell | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban area over the long-term, Iran or Nigeria?
- Nigeria, at 11,202 km² per grid cell against 8,281 km² per grid cell in Iran as of 2025.
- What is the difference in urban area over the long-term between Iran and Nigeria?
- 2,921 km² per grid cell, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Nigeria?
- 108 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2025.
- How do Iran and Nigeria rank globally for urban area over the long-term?
- Iran ranks 17th and Nigeria ranks 14th of 202 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban area over the long-term. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total built-up area of a country over time.