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India vs Nigeria: population pyramids compared

India is about 6.1 times as large as Nigeria, 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.

India and Nigeria in 2026

India population pyramid

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

Medium projection
India population pyramid for 2026: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 16,622 (0.0%) 100+ females: 26,174 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 140,554 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 210,325 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 667,277 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 993,030 (0.1%) 90–94 85–89 males: 2,010,383 (0.1%) 85–89 females: 2,772,216 (0.2%) 85–89 80–84 males: 4,463,068 (0.3%) 80–84 females: 5,556,511 (0.4%) 80–84 75–79 males: 8,977,225 (0.6%) 75–79 females: 10,234,935 (0.7%) 75–79 70–74 males: 15,488,423 (1.0%) 70–74 females: 16,643,677 (1.1%) 70–74 65–69 males: 21,788,582 (1.5%) 65–69 females: 22,369,264 (1.5%) 65–69 60–64 males: 27,760,324 (1.9%) 60–64 females: 27,753,214 (1.9%) 60–64 55–59 males: 33,664,488 (2.3%) 55–59 females: 33,056,213 (2.2%) 55–59 50–54 males: 40,160,952 (2.7%) 50–54 females: 38,637,183 (2.6%) 50–54 45–49 males: 46,665,776 (3.2%) 45–49 females: 43,954,216 (3.0%) 45–49 40–44 males: 54,063,251 (3.7%) 40–44 females: 50,289,524 (3.4%) 40–44 35–39 males: 59,419,674 (4.0%) 35–39 females: 55,046,499 (3.7%) 35–39 30–34 males: 63,103,645 (4.3%) 30–34 females: 57,719,010 (3.9%) 30–34 25–29 males: 66,396,385 (4.5%) 25–29 females: 60,183,470 (4.1%) 25–29 20–24 males: 67,577,598 (4.6%) 20–24 females: 61,386,465 (4.2%) 20–24 15–19 males: 66,102,266 (4.5%) 15–19 females: 60,111,402 (4.1%) 15–19 10–14 males: 63,758,124 (4.3%) 10–14 females: 58,280,825 (3.9%) 10–14 5–9 males: 60,517,269 (4.1%) 5–9 females: 55,818,782 (3.8%) 5–9 0–4 males: 58,377,910 (4.0%) 0–4 females: 54,462,846 (3.7%) 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 India and Nigeria

Age. India is the older population, with a median age of 29.2 years against 18.3 in Nigeria — a gap of 10.9 years. Nigeria has the larger share of children (40.0% under 15 versus 23.8%), while India has the larger share aged 65 and over (7.6% versus 3.1%).

Births and survival. Nigeria’s fertility rate of 4.20 is above the replacement level, and India’s 1.93 is below it. Life expectancy at birth is 72.7 years in India and 55.0 in Nigeria.

Dependency. The total age dependency ratio is 45.8 in India (34.7 children and 11.1 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 India’s population grows by 14% and Nigeria’s grows by 48%. These are scenario results, not forecasts; how projections work explains the assumptions.

India vs Nigeria: indicators side by side

IndicatorIndiaNigeria
Population, 20261,476,625,576242,431,832
Median age29.2 years18.3 years
Under age 1523.8%40.0%
Aged 15–6468.6%56.9%
Aged 65+7.6%3.1%
Age dependency ratio45.875.8
Fertility rate1.934.20
Life expectancy at birth72.7 years55.0 years
Annual growth+0.9%+2.0%
Males per 100 females106.4102.5
Population, 20501,679,589,259359,185,556
Change, 2026–2050+13.7%+48.2%
Population, 21001,505,251,761476,747,781
Peak year2061Still rising in 2100
Global population rank#1#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.

India population pyramid

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

Medium projection
India population pyramid for 2050: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 78,033 (0.0%) 100+ females: 136,121 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 585,091 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 917,585 (0.1%) 95–99 90–94 males: 2,464,995 (0.1%) 90–94 females: 3,546,007 (0.2%) 90–94 85–89 males: 6,692,503 (0.4%) 85–89 females: 8,777,443 (0.5%) 85–89 80–84 males: 13,290,255 (0.8%) 80–84 females: 16,118,572 (1.0%) 80–84 75–79 males: 21,851,077 (1.3%) 75–79 females: 24,639,916 (1.5%) 75–79 70–74 males: 31,229,179 (1.9%) 70–74 females: 32,984,634 (2.0%) 70–74 65–69 males: 41,507,478 (2.5%) 65–69 females: 41,810,368 (2.5%) 65–69 60–64 males: 50,166,603 (3.0%) 60–64 females: 49,185,803 (2.9%) 60–64 55–59 males: 56,414,359 (3.4%) 55–59 females: 53,799,879 (3.2%) 55–59 50–54 males: 61,617,291 (3.7%) 50–54 females: 57,338,189 (3.4%) 50–54 45–49 males: 64,840,955 (3.9%) 45–49 females: 59,867,768 (3.6%) 45–49 40–44 males: 63,610,349 (3.8%) 40–44 females: 58,394,477 (3.5%) 40–44 35–39 males: 62,157,840 (3.7%) 35–39 females: 57,008,586 (3.4%) 35–39 30–34 males: 59,426,905 (3.5%) 30–34 females: 54,793,687 (3.3%) 30–34 25–29 males: 56,589,245 (3.4%) 25–29 females: 52,707,039 (3.1%) 25–29 20–24 males: 56,010,431 (3.3%) 20–24 females: 52,699,463 (3.1%) 20–24 15–19 males: 55,241,147 (3.3%) 15–19 females: 52,273,260 (3.1%) 15–19 10–14 males: 53,297,913 (3.2%) 10–14 females: 50,601,433 (3.0%) 10–14 5–9 males: 50,966,680 (3.0%) 5–9 females: 48,462,384 (2.9%) 5–9 0–4 males: 48,933,693 (2.9%) 0–4 females: 46,554,624 (2.8%) 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 India’s pyramid

India’s pyramid has stopped widening at the base: the largest bands are now young adults aged 15–29, a sign that fertility has fallen to near replacement. Read the full India 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 India and Nigeria

Which population is older, India or Nigeria?

India is older: its projected 2026 median age is 29.2 years, compared with 18.3 in Nigeria.

Which has a higher fertility rate, India or Nigeria?

Nigeria has the higher total fertility rate in 2026: 4.20 births per woman, against 1.93 in India.

Will India or Nigeria have more people in 2050?

Under the UN medium scenario, India is projected to be larger in 2050, with 1.68B people against 359.2M.