Share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria

Nigeria: Share of land defined as natural habitat was 26.07 in 2010. ▼ Falling

Latest (2010)
26.07
World rank
142nd
of 168 countries
All-time high
75.94
in 1780
All-time low
26.07
in 2010
Years of data
24
1780–2010

Share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria, 1780–2010

3040506070801780189520101780: 75.91790: 75.31800: 74.61810: 73.91820: 72.81830: 71.71840: 70.41850: 69.21860: 67.81870: 66.11880: 64.31890: 62.31900: 60.21910: 57.31920: 53.31930: 49.61940: 45.71950: 41.41960: 32.31970: 31.71980: 31.21990: 30.12000: 28.62010: 26.1

Source: Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2010, share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria stood at 26.07. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is down 8.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria peaked at 75.94 in 1780 and was at its lowest, 26.07, in 2010.

That places Nigeria 142nd out of 168 countries with data for 2010, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria, 1780 to 2010.
Year Value Change
1780 75.94
1790 75.3 -0.8%
1800 74.63 -0.9%
1810 73.93 -0.9%
1820 72.83 -1.5%
1830 71.66 -1.6%
1840 70.44 -1.7%
1850 69.15 -1.8%
1860 67.81 -1.9%
1870 66.11 -2.5%
1880 64.28 -2.8%
1890 62.33 -3.0%
1900 60.22 -3.4%
1910 57.29 -4.9%
1920 53.29 -7.0%
1930 49.62 -6.9%
1940 45.67 -8.0%
1950 41.38 -9.4%
1960 32.33 -21.9%
1970 31.71 -1.9%
1980 31.24 -1.5%
1990 30.07 -3.7%
2000 28.55 -5.1%
2010 26.07 -8.7%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 26.07 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 60.64, 43% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 26.07 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 52.29, 50% of the median. (44 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1780s 75.94 75.94 75.94 1
1790s 75.3 75.3 75.3 1
1800s 74.63 74.63 74.63 1
1810s 73.93 73.93 73.93 1
1820s 72.83 72.83 72.83 1
1830s 71.66 71.66 71.66 1
1840s 70.44 70.44 70.44 1
1850s 69.15 69.15 69.15 1
1860s 67.81 67.81 67.81 1
1870s 66.11 66.11 66.11 1
1880s 64.28 64.28 64.28 1
1890s 62.33 62.33 62.33 1
1900s 60.22 60.22 60.22 1
1910s 57.29 57.29 57.29 1
1920s 53.29 53.29 53.29 1
1930s 49.62 49.62 49.62 1
1940s 45.67 45.67 45.67 1
1950s 41.38 41.38 41.38 1
1960s 32.33 32.33 32.33 1
1970s 31.71 31.71 31.71 1
1980s 31.24 31.24 31.24 1
1990s 30.07 30.07 30.07 1
2000s 28.55 28.55 28.55 1
2010s 26.07 26.07 26.07 1

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 139 Ukraine 27.51 compare
  2. 140 South Sudan 26.37 compare
  3. 141 China 26.36 compare
  4. 143 Rwanda 25.39 compare
  5. 144 Mali 25.22 compare
  6. 145 Bangladesh 24.98 compare

See the full ranking of 168 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria?
Share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria was 26.07 in 2010, according to Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 75.94 in 1780.
What is the lowest share of land defined as natural habitat recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 26.07 in 2010.
How does Nigeria rank for share of land defined as natural habitat?
Nigeria ranks 142nd out of 168 countries with data for 2010.
Is share of land defined as natural habitat rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of land defined as natural habitat. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of land defined as natural habitat in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/land-natural-share/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of land defined as natural habitat
Source
Taylor and Rising, and United Nations (2021) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
168 places, 4,032 data points, 1780–2010
Last refreshed

Natural ecosystems include forest, grassland, savanna, and shrublands, and other classes such as peatlands and marshes. It is total land minus land that is used by humans for agriculture – either croplands or pasture – or for infrastructure and urban environments.