Air passengers in Nigeria

Nigeria: Air passengers was 5.27 million in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
5.27 million
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
60th
of 183 countries
All-time high
7.79 million
in 2018
All-time low
173,000
in 1970
Years of data
54
1970–2023

Air passengers in Nigeria, 1970–2023

02.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M197019962023

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 5.27 million for air passengers in 2023.

The figure is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 25.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, air passengers in Nigeria peaked at 7.79 million in 2018 and was at its lowest, 173,000, in 1970.

That places Nigeria 60th out of 183 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 693,870 173,000 1.58 million 10
1980s 1.87 million 848,900 2.58 million 10
1990s 563,490 221,200 964,800 10
2000s 885,272 507,396 1.46 million 10
2010s 5.02 million 4.11 million 7.79 million 10
2020s 4.60 million 3.44 million 5.27 million 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 57 Denmark 6.43 million compare
  2. 58 Bahrain 5.73 million compare
  3. 59 Bolivia 5.60 million compare
  4. 61 Kenya 5.14 million compare
  5. 62 Uzbekistan 4.85 million compare
  6. 63 Ecuador 4.57 million compare

See the full ranking of 183 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is air passengers in Nigeria?
Air passengers in Nigeria was 5.27 million in 2023, according to International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest air passengers recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 7.79 million in 2018.
What is the lowest air passengers recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 173,000 in 1970.
How does Nigeria rank for air passengers?
Nigeria ranks 60th out of 183 countries with data for 2023.
Is air passengers rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 25.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Air passengers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Air passengers
Source
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
183 places, 7,925 data points, 1970–2023
Last refreshed

Domestic and international passengers of airlines registered in the country. Passengers counted each time they travel.