Nigeria spends millions of dollars on each national census

  • Nigeria spent $6 million on its first post-independence census in 1962.
  • There is no publicly available data on the amount spent during the 1991 census.
  • By 2006, census spending had surged to $266 million, highlighting a significant increase in the cost of national population counts.
  • The budget for the upcoming 2025 census has not yet been disclosed.
  • In April 2025, President Tinubu inaugurated the National Census Committee and gave a three-week deadline to submit a detailed report.

Census spending in Nigeria has increased since the country’s early years of independence , from just $6.2 million in 1962 to hundreds of millions in the early 2000s. While there is no public data for the 1991 census expenditure, the overall trend shows a growing investment in national data collection efforts. As the country awaits the exact budget for the upcoming 2025 census report, President Tinubu has formed a new Census Committee and given it a three-week deadline to deliver the report. With nearly two decades since the last census in 2006, this national exercise is critical for updating demographic and socio-economic data.

Source:

Population Reference Bureau, QZ

Period:

1962, 1991, 2006
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Generation Alpha has now surpassed all other generations, making up 24.4% of the global population
  • Generation Alpha is the largest generation, making up 24.4% of the global population.
  • Gen Z and Millennials still hold strong influence, comprising 22.9% and 21.2% of the global population.
  • The Baby Boomer generation (12.8%) is gradually declining, which will impact industries like retirement services, healthcare, and wealth distribution.
  • The Silent Generation is now just 2% of the population, highlighting the demographic shift away from the older generations.
  • Generation X, at 16.7%, remains a crucial but often overlooked group, balancing leadership roles in business and governance while supporting both older and younger generations.
  • The rise of Generation Alpha signals the dawn of an even more digital-native world, shaping the future of education, marketing, and work environments.
  • With Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha making up nearly 70% of the population, the global workforce, economy, and social dynamics will see rapid transformation in the coming years.
2.87% of the world, which amounts to 235 million people, reside in Nigeria as of January 2025
  • India is now the world’s most populous country, surpassing China with 17.78% of the global population.
  • China closely follows with 17.30%, showing that even though its population growth is slowing, it remains one of the most dominant globally.
  • The United States (4.23%) remains the most populous Western country, reinforcing its continued economic and political significance.
  • Nigeria leads Africa with 2.87% of the global population, showing that Africa's rising demographic weight will be a major factor in future economic and workforce trends.
  • Ethiopia (1.63%) is another African country on the rise, showing how Africa’s demographic shift is accelerating beyond just Nigeria.
  • Russia (1.76%) is the only European country on the list, underscoring Europe’s declining share in global population dynamics compared to the rapid growth of Asian and African nations.
Southern Africa contributes only 4.8% to Africa's 1.5 billion population
  • Eastern Africa is the most populous region, making up 33.09% of Africa’s total population, with over 507 million people.
  • Together, Eastern and Western Africa house over 63% of Africa’s total population, indicating where much of the continent’s human capital and economic activity will be concentrated.
  • Northern Africa has 274.1 million people (17.89%), while Central Africa has 216.3 million (14.11%), placing them in the mid-range of Africa’s population distribution.
  • Southern Africa is by far the least populous region, contributing just 4.8% (73.6 million people) to Africa’s 1.5 billion total.
  • The population contrast across regions highlights key differences in urbanisation, economic opportunities, and development needs.
  • Understanding Africa’s population distribution is crucial for businesses, policymakers, and investors, as future economic growth, consumer markets, and labour forces will be heavily influenced by these demographic trends.
Approximately 6 out of every 10 people in the world reside in Asia
  • Asia remains the world's population giant, housing nearly 59% of the global population.
  • Africa’s population boom is accelerating, contributing 18.7% of the world’s people.
  • Europe is shrinking in global demographic weight, making up only 9.09% of the world’s people.
  • Oceania remains sparsely populated, with just 0.57% of the global population.
  • Demographic trends will shape economic power, as nations with younger populations could become economic engines if properly harnessed.
  • Urbanisation and resource allocation will become critical, especially in Asia and Africa, where rising populations will put pressure on housing, food, and infrastructure.
Nearly half of the global population (47.5%) is aged between 20 and 54
  • Nearly half of the global population is aged between 20 and 54, making this group the primary driver of economic activities worldwide.
  • Individuals under 19 years old make up 32.9% of the total global population, highlighting the need for sustained investments in education and child welfare.
  • Over 19% of the population is aged 55 and above, emphasising the need for healthcare, retirement planning, and age-friendly policies.
  • With 2.10 billion people, the 35-54 group represents the backbone of global leadership, corporate decision-making, and financial stability.
Ethiopia leads with 36 million agricultural workers, despite Nigeria having the largest population
  • East Africa: Ethiopia leads with 36.2 million agricultural workers (27.3% of its 132.5 million population). Agriculture is vital to its economy. Tanzania follows with 19.2 million workers (approximately 28.8% of 66.6 million). Uganda has 23.4% of its 50 million population in agriculture, and Kenya employs 7.6 million workers (approximately 13.7% of 55.3 million), despite land degradation affecting 80% of its land.
  • West Africa: Nigeria has 26.8 million agricultural workers, but with a population of 232 million, it heavily depends on food imports as only 11.5% of its population work in the agriculture section. Ghana employs 5.5 million agricultural workers (16% of 34.4 million) and has strong potential for agricultural export growth, especially cocoa.
  • Central Africa: DR Congo has 18.6 million agricultural workers out of a population of 109.2 million.
  • Southern Africa: Mozambique has 9.9 million agricultural workers 29% of 34.6 million, while Madagascar employs 10.5 million (33% of 31.9 million). Agriculture is key to Madagascar’s economy but hindered by land issues, with women producing 80% of crops.
  • North Africa: Egypt has 5.7 million agricultural workers (5% of 116.5 million), and relies on irrigation due to limited arable land and high food imports.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved