Share of the population that is female in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of the population that is female was 49.4% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
49.4%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
175th
of 215 countries
All-time high
50.7%
in 1969
All-time low
49.4%
in 2025
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Share of the population that is female in Nigeria, 1960–2025
Source: United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population that is female in Nigeria is 49.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 66 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population that is female in Nigeria peaked at 50.7% in 1969 and was at its lowest, 49.4%, in 2025.
That places Nigeria 175th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Share of the population that is female in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 50.5% | — |
| 1961 | 50.5% | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 50.5% | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 50.5% | +0.0% |
| 1964 | 50.6% | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 50.6% | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 50.6% | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 50.6% | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 50.6% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 50.7% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 50.7% | -0.0% |
| 1971 | 50.6% | -0.0% |
| 1972 | 50.6% | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 50.6% | -0.0% |
| 1974 | 50.6% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 50.6% | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 50.6% | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 50.6% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 50.5% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 50.5% | -0.0% |
| 1980 | 50.5% | -0.0% |
| 1981 | 50.5% | -0.0% |
| 1982 | 50.4% | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 50.4% | -0.0% |
| 1984 | 50.4% | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 50.4% | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 50.3% | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 50.3% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 50.3% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 50.1% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 50.1% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 50.1% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 50.1% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 50.0% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 50.0% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 50.0% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 50.0% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 49.9% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 49.9% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 49.9% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 49.8% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 49.8% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 49.8% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 49.7% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 49.7% | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 49.7% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 49.7% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 49.7% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 49.6% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 49.6% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 49.6% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 49.6% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 49.6% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 49.6% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 49.5% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 49.4% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 49.4% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 49.4% | -0.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 49.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50.3%, 98% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 49.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50.2%, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 50.6% | 50.5% | 50.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 50.6% | 50.5% | 50.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 50.4% | 50.2% | 50.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 50.1% | 50.0% | 50.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.8% | 49.7% | 49.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.6% | 49.5% | 49.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.4% | 49.4% | 49.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More gender data for Nigeria
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 99,803 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6887 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 162,578 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 162,578 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.75 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 3.55 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 3.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 3.45 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 3.54 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 3.38 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population that is female in Nigeria?
- Share of the population that is female in Nigeria was 49.4% in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population that is female recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 50.7% in 1969.
- What is the lowest share of the population that is female recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.4% in 2025.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of the population that is female?
- Nigeria ranks 175th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
- Is share of the population that is female rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population that is female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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