This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009)

This article is about the demographic features of the population of Nigeria, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.

Population density

Total population

The most populous country in Africa, Nigeria accounts for approximately one-sixth of Africa's people. Although fewer than 25% of Nigerians are urban dwellers, at least 24 cities have populations of more than 100,000. The variety of customs, languages, and traditions among Nigeria's 389 ethnic groups gives the country a cultural diversity.

Census figures are used to determine regional funding and representation of ethnic and religious groups in government service. This provides an incentive for inflating local populations. On the other hand, some academics believe the figures given below by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) are a serious under-estimate.

Professor JG Ottong, a social scientist at the University of Calabar, explained that population has been a sensitive and controversial issue "because of its implications for shaping regional, state and ethnic relations and balance of power". In the past, census figures were believed to have been manipulated for political advantage.^[1]

[edit] Overview

The most numerous ethnic group in the northern two-thirds of the country is the Hausa-Fulani,the overwhelming majority of whom are Muslim. Other major ethnic groups of the north are the Nupe, Tiv, and Kanuri. The Yoruba people are the most numerous in the southwest. Over half of the Yorubas are Christian and about a quarter are Muslim, with the remainder following mostly traditional beliefs. The predominantly Christian Igbo are the largest ethnic group in the southeast. Roman Catholics are the largest denomination, but Pentecostal and other Evangelical denominations are also strong. The Efik, Ibibio, Annang, and Ijaw (the country's fourth-largest ethnic group) communities also comprise a substantial segment of the population in that area. Persons of different language backgrounds most commonly communicate in English, although knowledge of two or more Nigerian languages is widespread. Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo are the most widely used Nigerian languages.

[edit] CIA World Factbook demographic statistics

The following demographic statistics are from the CIA World Factbook, unless otherwise indicated.

Demographics of Nigeria, Data of FAO, year 2005 ; Number of inhabitants in thousands.

[edit] Population and Population Projections

The United Nations estimates that the population in 2005 was at 141 million, and predicted that it would reach 289 million by 2050.^[2] Nigeria has just recently undergone the start of a population explosion due to higher fertility rates.

The United States Census Bureau projects that population of Nigeria will reach 264 million by 2050. Nigeria will then be the 8th most populous country in the world.^[3]

[edit] Age structure

0–14 years: 44% (male 27,181,020; female 26,872,317)
15–64 years: 53% (male 33,495,794; female 32,337,193)
65 years and over: 3% (male 1,729,149; female 1,722,349) (2000 est.)

[edit] Vital statistics

Population growth rate

2.5% (2008 est.)

Birth rate

43 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate

18 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate

0.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
15–64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 1 male(s)/female
total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate

74.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 51.56 years
male: 51.58 years
female: 51.55 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

5.9 children born/woman (2008 est.)

[edit] Ethnic groups

Nigeria, which is Africa's most populous country, is composed of more than 250 ethnic groups; the following are the most populous and politically influential: Hausa and Fulani 29%, Yoruba 21%, Igbo 18%, (Calabar people: 10%: Ibibio 4.5%, Annang 3.5%, Efik 2%), Ijaw 6.5%, Kanuri 4%, Tiv 2.5%.^[4] These percentages are estimates, based on the number of settlements, including the number of towns, villages, hamlets and cities, with information supplied by the Nigeria postal service. Although, these estimates have come under opposition by those who believe the ethnic group population counts have been tampered with for ethnic numerical superiority.^[5][6][7]

In the absence of an up to date census, other population figures do not follow scientific procedures. Only these are backed by settlement figures provided by the government.

[edit] Emigration

Today millions of ethnic Nigerians live abroad, the largest communities can be found in the United Kingdom (200,000- 500,000)^[8] and the United States (165,000 Nigerians). There are also large groups in Canada, Spain and many other countries.^{[citation needed]}

• Nigerian British
• Nigerian American
• Nigerian Canadians

[edit] Religions (2000 estimate)

The U.S. State Department estimates that Muslims outnumber Christians, comprising approximately half of the country's population, while Christians make up 40 percent, with the remainder following traditional indigenous religions or no religion. Many people combine elements of Christianity or Islam with elements of indigenous faiths. The predominant form of Islam in the country is Sunni. The Christian population includes Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians, and a growing number of Evangelical and Pentecostal Christians. A large majority of Nigerian Christians are Protestant, but Roman Catholicism is the largest single denomination.

It should also be noted that an estimated 8 million Nigerians belong to more than one Christian denomination, and unrecorded transferral of membership between diverse Protestant and "African Christian" bodies is widespread. Accordingly, the denominational membership totals add up to considerably more than the total number of Christians in Nigeria.

The Operation World^[who?]

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

estimates are stated below. Their inclusion is because of their detail. Their overall accuracy is unprovable.

• Christian: 40% (Mostly in the Country's Designated 'Middle Belt' and Southern States )
  • Protestant: 26%
    • Pentecostal: 10.9%
    • Evangelical Church of West Africa: 4.1% (outgrowth of the Sudan Interior Mission)
    • TEKAN: 2.8% (outgrowth of the Sudan United Mission)
    • Baptist: 1.6%
    • Methodist: 1.5%
    • Other Protestant: 2.7%
  • African Christian: 18.25% (Denominations with no Western ties)
    • Christ Apostolic Church: 1.8%
    • Church of God Mission International: 1.25%
    • The Church of the Lord (Aladura): 1.1%
    • Cherubim and Seraphim: 0.7%
    • Deeper Life Bible Church: 0.7%
    • Other African Christian: 12.7% (more than 4200 denominations)
  • Roman Catholic: 13.45%
  • Anglican: 10.1%
  • Marginal Christian/Unaffiliated Christian 2.1%
    • Jehovah's Witnesses: 0.5%
    • Other Marginal Christian: 1.6%
• Muslim: 50%. Almost all Sunni (Predominantly in the North; about 25 percent of the population in the South West)
• Indigenous beliefs: 10%
• Other: 0.4%
• Islam: 61,437,208 (47.16%)
• Christianity: 54,665,801 (41.97%)
• Ethnoreligionists: 13,642,132 (10.47%)
• Non Religious: 378,006 (0.29%)
• Atheism: 47,350 (0.04%)
• Baha'i Faith: 33,366 (0.03%)
• Neoreligionists: 19,646 (0.02%)
• Buddhism: 6,953 (0.01%)
• Chinese Universists: 3,843 (0.00%)
• Judaism: 938 (0.00%)

Although the last source gives an estimate for Judaism, none of the sources recognizes the Igbo Jews as adherents of Judaism. Even so, with estimates of adherence in the range of 40,000, this community comprises a relatively small 0.17% of the population of Nigeria.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ni.html

[edit] Religious Affiliation Among Major Ethnic Groups

Source: http://www.worldchristiandatabase.org

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (October 2009)

This article may contain inappropriate or misinterpreted citations that do not verify the text. Please help improve this article by checking for inaccuracies. (help, talk, get involved!) (October 2009)

• Hausa: 25,900,527 (Muslims 99.90%, Christians 0.10%)
• Yoruba: 22,921,473 (Christians 60.00%, Muslims 36.38%, Animists 3.00%, Non Religious 0.50%, Baha'is 0.07%, Atheists 0.05%)
• Igbo: 22,926,340 (Christians 97.00%, Animists 2.00%, Non Religious 0.80%, Atheists 0.10%, Baha'is 0.10%)
• Fulani, Toroobe: 6,381,546 (Muslims 99.70%, Christians 0.30%)
• Yerwa Kanuri: 4,037,305 (Muslims 99.99%, Christians 0.01%)
• Ibibio: 3,907,096 (Christians 99.00%, Animists 1.00%)
• Annang: 2,500,557 (Christians 99.00%, Animists 1.00%)
• Efik: 2,107,190 (Christians 99.00%, Animists 1.00%)
• Egba: 3,800,276 (Christians 86.00%, Muslims 11.00%, Animists 3.00%)
• Tiv: 3,349,830 (Christians 94.60%, Animists 4.40%, Non Religious 1.00%)
• Fulani, Haabe: 2,214,006 (Muslims 99.60%, Christians (0.40%)
• Fulani, Sokoto: 2,214,006 (Muslims 99.90%, Christians 0.10%)
• Fulani, Bororo: 1,953,535 (Muslims 99.95%, Christians 0.05%)
• Ijaw, Central-Western: 1,536,781 (Christians 95.00%, Animists 5.00%)
• Ebira: 1,395,332 (Muslims 50.00%, Animists 26.00%, Christians 24.00%)
• Ibibio, Western: 1,354,451 (Christians 96.00%, Animists 4.00%)
• Edo: 1,277,989 (Christians 80.00%, Animists 20.00%)
• Nupe: 1,197,139 (Muslims 92.00%, Animists 5.20%, Christians 2.80%)
• Igala: 1,022,389 (Christians 57.50%, Animists 32.00%, Muslims 10.50%)
• Fulani, Adamawa: 1,003,322 (Muslims 97.00%, Christians 3.00%)

[edit] Languages

English (official), Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo (Ibo), Fulani, Ibibio (Annang/Ibibio/Efik), Ijaw, and others.

[edit] Literacy

• Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
• Total population: 66.9%
• Male: 71.3%
• Female: 62.4% (all: 2006 census)^[9]

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• S. A. Aluko, "How Many Nigerians? An Analysis of Nigeria's Census Problems, 1901-63", Journal of Modern African Studies,3 (1965), pp. 371-392.