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Egypt vs Nigeria: population pyramids compared

Nigeria is about 2.0 times as large as Egypt, but size is only part of the story. Compare the two age structures on one percentage scale for 2026 and 2050, with every indicator side by side.

Estimate or projection?

UN estimates run through 2023; figures from 2024 onward are medium-scenario projections.

Egypt and Nigeria in 2026

Egypt population pyramid

2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Egypt population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 35 (0.0%) 100+ females: 105 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 836 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 2,212 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 8,968 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 21,267 (0.0%) 90–94 85–89 males: 44,778 (0.0%) 85–89 females: 91,606 (0.1%) 85–89 80–84 males: 161,123 (0.1%) 80–84 females: 281,586 (0.2%) 80–84 75–79 males: 435,712 (0.4%) 75–79 females: 647,682 (0.5%) 75–79 70–74 males: 842,013 (0.7%) 70–74 females: 1,103,655 (0.9%) 70–74 65–69 males: 1,331,554 (1.1%) 65–69 females: 1,547,105 (1.3%) 65–69 60–64 males: 1,845,302 (1.5%) 60–64 females: 1,951,034 (1.6%) 60–64 55–59 males: 2,318,504 (1.9%) 55–59 females: 2,304,758 (1.9%) 55–59 50–54 males: 2,795,627 (2.3%) 50–54 females: 2,717,584 (2.3%) 50–54 45–49 males: 3,350,952 (2.8%) 45–49 females: 3,261,920 (2.7%) 45–49 40–44 males: 3,934,411 (3.3%) 40–44 females: 3,851,907 (3.2%) 40–44 35–39 males: 4,361,412 (3.6%) 35–39 females: 4,240,415 (3.5%) 35–39 30–34 males: 4,420,583 (3.7%) 30–34 females: 4,227,144 (3.5%) 30–34 25–29 males: 4,744,149 (4.0%) 25–29 females: 4,539,128 (3.8%) 25–29 20–24 males: 5,110,837 (4.3%) 20–24 females: 4,922,406 (4.1%) 20–24 15–19 males: 5,801,020 (4.8%) 15–19 females: 5,534,225 (4.6%) 15–19 10–14 males: 6,731,158 (5.6%) 10–14 females: 6,431,949 (5.4%) 10–14 5–9 males: 6,285,858 (5.2%) 5–9 females: 5,993,025 (5.0%) 5–9 0–4 males: 6,104,446 (5.1%) 0–4 females: 5,801,188 (4.8%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Nigeria population pyramid

2026 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Nigeria population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 56 (0.0%) 100+ females: 152 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 1,348 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 2,550 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 15,790 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 22,368 (0.0%) 90–94 85–89 males: 88,751 (0.0%) 85–89 females: 107,174 (0.0%) 85–89 80–84 males: 282,999 (0.1%) 80–84 females: 317,894 (0.1%) 80–84 75–79 males: 582,732 (0.2%) 75–79 females: 658,470 (0.3%) 75–79 70–74 males: 1,027,422 (0.4%) 70–74 females: 1,136,195 (0.5%) 70–74 65–69 males: 1,566,469 (0.6%) 65–69 females: 1,685,515 (0.7%) 65–69 60–64 males: 2,174,684 (0.9%) 60–64 females: 2,267,628 (0.9%) 60–64 55–59 males: 2,890,564 (1.2%) 55–59 females: 2,921,213 (1.2%) 55–59 50–54 males: 3,829,249 (1.6%) 50–54 females: 3,808,244 (1.6%) 50–54 45–49 males: 4,920,225 (2.0%) 45–49 females: 4,820,730 (2.0%) 45–49 40–44 males: 5,799,180 (2.4%) 40–44 females: 5,651,194 (2.3%) 40–44 35–39 males: 6,653,154 (2.7%) 35–39 females: 6,459,820 (2.7%) 35–39 30–34 males: 7,896,466 (3.3%) 30–34 females: 7,616,939 (3.1%) 30–34 25–29 males: 9,611,409 (4.0%) 25–29 females: 9,271,556 (3.8%) 25–29 20–24 males: 12,090,766 (5.0%) 20–24 females: 11,643,962 (4.8%) 20–24 15–19 males: 14,062,075 (5.8%) 15–19 females: 13,536,584 (5.6%) 15–19 10–14 males: 15,573,018 (6.4%) 10–14 females: 15,054,509 (6.2%) 10–14 5–9 males: 16,101,674 (6.6%) 5–9 females: 15,639,238 (6.5%) 5–9 0–4 males: 17,540,276 (7.2%) 0–4 females: 17,101,591 (7.1%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Key differences between Egypt and Nigeria

Age. Egypt is the older population, with a median age of 24.7 years against 18.3 in Nigeria — a gap of 6.4 years. Nigeria has the larger share of children (40.0% under 15 versus 31.1%), while Egypt has the larger share aged 65 and over (5.4% versus 3.1%).

Births and survival. Nigeria’s fertility rate of 4.20 is above the replacement level, and Egypt’s 2.68 is above it. Life expectancy at birth is 72.2 years in Egypt and 55.0 in Nigeria.

Dependency. The total age dependency ratio is 57.5 in Egypt (49.0 children and 8.6 older people per 100 aged 15–64) and 75.8 in Nigeria (70.3 and 5.4). Similar totals can hide very different mixes of young and old.

Outlook. Between 2026 and 2050, the UN medium scenario has Egypt’s population grows by 35% and Nigeria’s grows by 48%. These are scenario results, not forecasts; how projections work explains the assumptions.

Egypt vs Nigeria: indicators side by side

IndicatorEgyptNigeria
Population, 2026120,101,175242,431,832
Median age24.7 years18.3 years
Under age 1531.1%40.0%
Aged 15–6463.5%56.9%
Aged 65+5.4%3.1%
Age dependency ratio57.575.8
Fertility rate2.684.20
Life expectancy at birth72.2 years55.0 years
Annual growth+1.4%+2.0%
Males per 100 females101.9102.5
Population, 2050161,630,192359,185,556
Change, 2026–2050+34.6%+48.2%
Population, 2100201,895,184476,747,781
Peak yearStill rising in 2100Still rising in 2100
Global population rank#13#6

2026, 2050, and 2100 values are UN World Population Prospects 2024 medium-scenario projections.

How the two pyramids could look in 2050

The same scale is kept for the projected charts, so a narrowing base or widening top can be compared directly with the 2026 shapes above.

Egypt population pyramid

2050 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Egypt population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 244 (0.0%) 100+ females: 783 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 5,271 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 14,322 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 49,230 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 109,891 (0.1%) 90–94 85–89 males: 229,936 (0.1%) 85–89 females: 415,073 (0.3%) 85–89 80–84 males: 631,788 (0.4%) 80–84 females: 948,252 (0.6%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,237,579 (0.8%) 75–79 females: 1,618,749 (1.0%) 75–79 70–74 males: 2,017,421 (1.2%) 70–74 females: 2,397,651 (1.5%) 70–74 65–69 males: 2,875,098 (1.8%) 65–69 females: 3,190,222 (2.0%) 65–69 60–64 males: 3,653,272 (2.3%) 60–64 females: 3,842,524 (2.4%) 60–64 55–59 males: 4,028,195 (2.5%) 55–59 females: 4,023,311 (2.5%) 55–59 50–54 males: 4,444,141 (2.7%) 50–54 females: 4,345,740 (2.7%) 50–54 45–49 males: 4,886,230 (3.0%) 45–49 females: 4,765,783 (2.9%) 45–49 40–44 males: 5,473,490 (3.4%) 40–44 females: 5,291,557 (3.3%) 40–44 35–39 males: 6,411,459 (4.0%) 35–39 females: 6,186,750 (3.8%) 35–39 30–34 males: 6,302,408 (3.9%) 30–34 females: 6,068,017 (3.8%) 30–34 25–29 males: 5,891,986 (3.6%) 25–29 females: 5,645,248 (3.5%) 25–29 20–24 males: 6,148,867 (3.8%) 20–24 females: 5,871,089 (3.6%) 20–24 15–19 males: 6,520,682 (4.0%) 15–19 females: 6,202,855 (3.8%) 15–19 10–14 males: 6,862,679 (4.2%) 10–14 females: 6,517,208 (4.0%) 10–14 5–9 males: 6,924,222 (4.3%) 5–9 females: 6,570,176 (4.1%) 5–9 0–4 males: 6,678,499 (4.1%) 0–4 females: 6,332,292 (3.9%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

Nigeria population pyramid

2050 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Medium projection
Nigeria population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 162 (0.0%) 100+ females: 406 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 3,417 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 6,234 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 35,733 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 49,998 (0.0%) 90–94 85–89 males: 186,374 (0.1%) 85–89 females: 222,221 (0.1%) 85–89 80–84 males: 581,407 (0.2%) 80–84 females: 638,230 (0.2%) 80–84 75–79 males: 1,316,618 (0.4%) 75–79 females: 1,395,549 (0.4%) 75–79 70–74 males: 2,389,287 (0.7%) 70–74 females: 2,466,359 (0.7%) 70–74 65–69 males: 3,479,427 (1.0%) 65–69 females: 3,534,052 (1.0%) 65–69 60–64 males: 4,460,601 (1.2%) 60–64 females: 4,446,426 (1.2%) 60–64 55–59 males: 5,595,456 (1.6%) 55–59 females: 5,448,124 (1.5%) 55–59 50–54 males: 6,968,487 (1.9%) 50–54 females: 6,685,489 (1.9%) 50–54 45–49 males: 9,212,092 (2.6%) 45–49 females: 8,778,829 (2.4%) 45–49 40–44 males: 11,720,347 (3.3%) 40–44 females: 11,162,888 (3.1%) 40–44 35–39 males: 13,769,085 (3.8%) 35–39 females: 13,183,323 (3.7%) 35–39 30–34 males: 14,902,030 (4.1%) 30–34 females: 14,293,126 (4.0%) 30–34 25–29 males: 16,249,738 (4.5%) 25–29 females: 15,637,116 (4.4%) 25–29 20–24 males: 17,495,581 (4.9%) 20–24 females: 16,867,812 (4.7%) 20–24 15–19 males: 17,828,255 (5.0%) 15–19 females: 17,214,826 (4.8%) 15–19 10–14 males: 18,353,554 (5.1%) 10–14 females: 17,773,519 (4.9%) 10–14 5–9 males: 18,701,976 (5.2%) 5–9 females: 18,196,795 (5.1%) 5–9 0–4 males: 19,207,055 (5.3%) 0–4 females: 18,727,552 (5.2%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

What shapes Egypt’s pyramid

Egypt’s pyramid has a bulge at ages 10–14, children of a fertility rebound around 2010–2014, that interrupts an otherwise steadily tapering shape. Read the full Egypt analysis.

What shapes Nigeria’s pyramid

Nigeria has a textbook expansive pyramid: about 40% of people are under 15, and each age band is narrower than the one below it all the way up. Read the full Nigeria analysis.

Explore each country in depth

Questions about Egypt and Nigeria

Which population is older, Egypt or Nigeria?

Egypt is older: its projected 2026 median age is 24.7 years, compared with 18.3 in Nigeria.

Which has a higher fertility rate, Egypt or Nigeria?

Nigeria has the higher total fertility rate in 2026: 4.20 births per woman, against 2.68 in Egypt.

Will Egypt or Nigeria have more people in 2050?

Under the UN medium scenario, Nigeria is projected to be larger in 2050, with 359.2M people against 161.6M.