Nigeria vs United States: population
How Nigeria and United States compare in population today and out to 2100, side by side, from UN World Population Prospects 2024.
Nigeria and United States population, 2000-2100
Lines cross around 2057
Side by side
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 🇺🇸 United States | |
|---|---|---|
| Population today | 240 million | 348 million |
| Population 2050 | 357 million | 380 million |
| Population 2100 | 477 million | 421 million |
| World rank | #6 | #3 |
| Peak year | 2100 | 2100 |
| Median age (2024) | 18 | 38 |
| Fertility rate (2024) | 4.38 | 1.62 |
| Life expectancy (2024) | 55 yrs | 79 yrs |
| Density (per km²) | 266 | 38 |
Nigeria vs United States, explained
Today United States is the larger of the two, with about 348 million people against Nigeria's 240 million. Nigeria is the world's 6th most populous country and United States the 3rd.
Their paths to 2100 differ. Nigeria grows strongly over the century, moving from about 230 million to 477 million (+107.0%). United States keeps growing, going from 344 million to 421 million (+22.2%).
The two cross over: Nigeria is projected to overtake United States around 2057, when both sit near 386 million people. It is one of the clearer signals of how the global ranking is being rewritten.
The deeper contrast is age and fertility. Nigeria has a median age near 18 and 4.38 births per woman, against United States's 38 and 1.62. All figures follow the UN's medium-variant projection.