2.87% of the world, which amounts to 235 million people, reside in Nigeria as of January 2025

Key takeaways:

  • 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.

India and China remain the world's most populous territories, together accounting for over 35% of the global population. This means that more than one in every three people on Earth lives in these two nations alone. India now surpasses China, taking the lead as the most populous country with 17.78% of the world’s population, while China follows closely with 17.30%.
Meanwhile, Nigeria stands as Africa’s most populous nation, with 2.87% of the world's people, which is 235 million individuals. As Africa's economies rise, Nigeria’s vast human capital makes it a key player in global trade, technology, and economic transformation.

Source:

Digital 2025 Global Overview Report

Period:

2025
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Twelve African countries have gone at least a decade without completing a new population census
  • Twelve African countries have not completed a census in at least 10 years.
  • DR Congo (42 years) and Somalia (40 years) have Africa's oldest censuses.
  • Guinea-Bissau has completed a new census, while Cameroon and Chad are still counting.
  • Nigeria and DR Congo are preparing new censuses, but fieldwork has not begun.
  • South Sudan's census is disputed, while Eritrea is excluded from the ranking.
Mauritius has almost as many elderly people as children: 97 for every 100
  • Mauritius had 97 elderly people per 100 children in 2025, over 11 times Africa’s median of 8.5.
  • Its ratio increased from fewer than seven in 1960 to 24 in 2000, becoming Africa’s highest in 2009.
  • Seychelles ranked second with 44 elderly people per 100 children, followed by Tunisia with 42.
  • Mauritius’s child share fell from 25.6% to 14.5% between 2000 and 2025, while its elderly share increased from 6.1% to 14.1%.
  • Nigeria’s ratio moved from 6.9 to 7.6 between 2000 and 2025, placing it 38th among 54 countries.
Lagos, Kano, Abuja, and Ibadan are among Africa’s most populous cities with a combined population of 31.3 mn
  • Lagos is Africa’s third-largest city and ranks 14th globally.
  • Cairo remains Africa’s largest city, with over 23 million people, keeping Egypt at the centre of the continent’s urban network.
  • Kinshasa’s position shows Central Africa’s rising urban influence.
  • There is a steep population gap after the top three cities.
3 African cities feature in the 20 most populous cities globally, with a total population of 59.9 million
  • Together, the top three cities — Tokyo, Delhi, and Shanghai — have more than 100 million residents.
  • Asia dominates the ranking, with most of the top ten cities located on the continent.
  • Only three African cities — Cairo, Kinshasa, and Lagos — appear in the top 20.
  • Africa’s three mega-cities together account for nearly 60 million people, showing concentrated urban growth.
  • Urban population growth is driven by migration toward economic and commercial hubs.
Nigeria's age dependency ratio for the young dominates that of the old, on average, at 14:1
  • The young-to-old dependency ratio stands at 14:1, showing that youth dependency overwhelmingly drives the total ratio.
  • The total dependency ratio declined from 88.2% in 1976 to 78.8% in 2024, showing slow but steady improvement.
  • The youth dependency ratio has dropped from 82.2% to 73.3% over the same period.
  • The old-age dependency ratio remained almost flat, averaging around 5–6% for nearly 50 years.
  • The highest total dependency ratio was 95.0% in 1988.
  • The ratio’s slight downward trend after 2012 reflects a growing working-age population entering the labour market.
Six of the ten countries with the lowest share of older populations are in Africa
  • Qatar has the lowest share of seniors, with only 1.7% of its population aged 65+.
  • The UAE follows closely at 1.8%.
  • Zambia has 2.0% of its population aged 65 and above, totalling about 438,000 people.
  • Uganda, Chad, and the Central African Republic each have a senior population of around 2.1–2.2%, with totals exceeding 1 million seniors.
  • Qatar also has the smallest absolute number of seniors on the list—just 53,000 people.
  • Nigeria has 7.3 million seniors that represent only 3.1% of its population, ranking 25th worldwide.
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