Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Nigeria
Nigeria: Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate was 1.27 % change on previous year in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
1.27 % change on previous year
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
28th
of 234 countries
All-time high
4.02 % change on previous year
in 1959
All-time low
1.27 % change on previous year
in 2025
Years of data
75
1951–2025
Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Nigeria, 1951–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in % change on previous year.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 1.27 % change on previous year for urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 75 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Nigeria peaked at 4.02 % change on previous year in 1959 and was at its lowest, 1.27 % change on previous year, in 2025.
That places Nigeria 28th out of 234 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 75 years of available data.
Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % change on previous year | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 2.54 % change on previous year | — |
| 1952 | 2.64 % change on previous year | +3.9% |
| 1953 | 2.91 % change on previous year | +10.2% |
| 1954 | 3.29 % change on previous year | +13.0% |
| 1955 | 3.58 % change on previous year | +8.9% |
| 1956 | 3.79 % change on previous year | +5.9% |
| 1957 | 3.93 % change on previous year | +3.7% |
| 1958 | 4.01 % change on previous year | +1.9% |
| 1959 | 4.02 % change on previous year | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 3.99 % change on previous year | -0.7% |
| 1961 | 3.92 % change on previous year | -1.8% |
| 1962 | 3.82 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 1963 | 3.67 % change on previous year | -3.8% |
| 1964 | 3.56 % change on previous year | -3.1% |
| 1965 | 3.53 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 1966 | 3.51 % change on previous year | -0.6% |
| 1967 | 3.48 % change on previous year | -0.8% |
| 1968 | 3.45 % change on previous year | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 3.41 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 3.37 % change on previous year | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 3.33 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 1972 | 3.28 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 1973 | 3.23 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 3.18 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 3.13 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 1976 | 3.07 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 3.02 % change on previous year | -1.8% |
| 1978 | 2.96 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 2.9 % change on previous year | -1.9% |
| 1980 | 2.84 % change on previous year | -2.0% |
| 1981 | 2.79 % change on previous year | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 2.73 % change on previous year | -2.1% |
| 1983 | 2.67 % change on previous year | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 2.61 % change on previous year | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 2.56 % change on previous year | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 2.5 % change on previous year | -2.3% |
| 1987 | 2.44 % change on previous year | -2.3% |
| 1988 | 2.38 % change on previous year | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 2.33 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 1990 | 2.27 % change on previous year | -2.4% |
| 1991 | 2.21 % change on previous year | -2.5% |
| 1992 | 2.17 % change on previous year | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 2.14 % change on previous year | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 2.12 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 2.1 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 2.08 % change on previous year | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 2.06 % change on previous year | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 2.03 % change on previous year | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 2.01 % change on previous year | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 1.98 % change on previous year | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 1.96 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 1.93 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.91 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 1.88 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 1.85 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 1.81 % change on previous year | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 1.68 % change on previous year | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 1.65 % change on previous year | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 1.63 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 1.6 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 1.57 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 1.55 % change on previous year | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 1.52 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 1.5 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 1.47 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 1.45 % change on previous year | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 1.43 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 1.41 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 1.39 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 1.37 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 1.35 % change on previous year | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 1.33 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 1.31 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 1.29 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 1.27 % change on previous year | -1.4% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 1.27 % change on previous year is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.9084 % change on previous year, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 1.27 % change on previous year is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.15 % change on previous year, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.41 % change on previous year | 2.54 % change on previous year | 4.02 % change on previous year | 9 |
| 1960s | 3.63 % change on previous year | 3.41 % change on previous year | 3.99 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.15 % change on previous year | 2.9 % change on previous year | 3.37 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.58 % change on previous year | 2.33 % change on previous year | 2.84 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.12 % change on previous year | 2.01 % change on previous year | 2.27 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.83 % change on previous year | 1.63 % change on previous year | 1.98 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.49 % change on previous year | 1.39 % change on previous year | 1.6 % change on previous year | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.32 % change on previous year | 1.27 % change on previous year | 1.37 % change on previous year | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 25 Madagascar 1.44 % change on previous year compare
- 26 South Sudan 1.44 % change on previous year compare
- 27 Togo 1.32 % change on previous year compare
- 29 Sierra Leone 1.24 % change on previous year compare
- 30 Maldives 1.21 % change on previous year compare
- 31 Comoros 1.2 % change on previous year compare
More reference data data for Nigeria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 19.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 81.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 121.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 14.27 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Nigeria?
- Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate in Nigeria was 1.27 % change on previous year in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 4.02 % change on previous year in 1959.
- What is the lowest urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.27 % change on previous year in 2025.
- How does Nigeria rank for urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate?
- Nigeria ranks 28th out of 234 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban vs rural majority, annual growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 75 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban vs rural majority. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.
Computed from
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
The year-on-year percentage change in Urban vs rural majority. Computed from consecutive annual observations; years either side of a gap are skipped rather than bridged.