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Nigeria population pyramid 1950

37,283,010 people in 1950 (historical estimate). This page shows Nigeria’s age and sex structure in 1950 and how it differs from 2026.

1950 population
37.3Mhistorical estimate
Median age
18.1 years2026: 18.3
Under age 15
41.7%2026: 40.0%
Age 65+
3.0%2026: 3.1%

Nigeria population pyramid

1950 · Share of total by five-year age group and sex

Historical estimate
Nigeria population pyramid for 1950: males on the left and females on the right Male share Female share 100+ males: 0 (0.0%) 100+ females: 1 (0.0%) 100+ 95–99 males: 14 (0.0%) 95–99 females: 31 (0.0%) 95–99 90–94 males: 267 (0.0%) 90–94 females: 592 (0.0%) 90–94 85–89 males: 3,389 (0.0%) 85–89 females: 6,635 (0.0%) 85–89 80–84 males: 21,247 (0.1%) 80–84 females: 38,711 (0.1%) 80–84 75–79 males: 64,957 (0.2%) 75–79 females: 100,349 (0.3%) 75–79 70–74 males: 139,322 (0.4%) 70–74 females: 194,542 (0.5%) 70–74 65–69 males: 239,502 (0.6%) 65–69 females: 307,252 (0.8%) 65–69 60–64 males: 360,512 (1.0%) 60–64 females: 432,997 (1.2%) 60–64 55–59 males: 496,370 (1.3%) 55–59 females: 561,633 (1.5%) 55–59 50–54 males: 622,778 (1.7%) 50–54 females: 674,346 (1.8%) 50–54 45–49 males: 705,815 (1.9%) 45–49 females: 749,364 (2.0%) 45–49 40–44 males: 845,626 (2.3%) 40–44 females: 872,890 (2.3%) 40–44 35–39 males: 1,003,902 (2.7%) 35–39 females: 1,020,099 (2.7%) 35–39 30–34 males: 1,212,196 (3.3%) 30–34 females: 1,212,249 (3.3%) 30–34 25–29 males: 1,422,282 (3.8%) 25–29 females: 1,406,858 (3.8%) 25–29 20–24 males: 1,647,273 (4.4%) 20–24 females: 1,613,341 (4.3%) 20–24 15–19 males: 1,901,332 (5.1%) 15–19 females: 1,849,178 (5.0%) 15–19 10–14 males: 2,189,678 (5.9%) 10–14 females: 2,123,668 (5.7%) 10–14 5–9 males: 2,531,157 (6.8%) 5–9 females: 2,447,615 (6.6%) 5–9 0–4 males: 3,159,600 (8.5%) 0–4 females: 3,103,444 (8.3%) 0–4 10%5% Age 5%10%

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Historical estimate

Values for 1950 are UN estimates reconstructed from censuses, surveys, and registration data available up to 2023; earlier years generally carry more uncertainty.

Nigeria age structure in 1950

In 1950, children under 15 made up 41.7% of the population, people aged 15–64 55.3%, and people aged 65 or older 3.0%. On these shares the structure is classed as youthful; see the guide to expansive population pyramids.

The total age dependency ratio was 80.9 (75.5 children and 5.4 people aged 65+ per 100 aged 15–64). The largest five-year groups were 0–4, 5–9, 10–14, which together accounted for 41.7% of the population.

Fertility was 6.42 births per woman and life expectancy at birth 35.5 years. The population changed by +1.88% during the year.

Nigeria in 1950 compared with 2026

Between 1950 and 2026, Nigeria’s population grew by 550% and the median age rose by 0.2 years. The table sets the two years side by side; percentage-point differences compare shares, not counts.

Indicator19502026Change
Population37,283,010242,431,832+550.2%
Median age (years)18.118.3+0.2
Under 1541.7%40.0%−1.7 pts
Aged 15–6455.3%56.9%+1.6 pts
Aged 65+3.0%3.1%+0.1 pts
Fertility rate6.424.20−2.22
Life expectancy (years)35.555.0+19.5
Males per 100 females99.2102.5+3.3

Nigeria population by age and sex in 1950

Counts by five-year age group, with everyone aged 100 or older combined. Download the CSV for every chart year.

Age groupMaleFemaleTotalShare
0–43,159,6003,103,4446,263,04416.8%
5–92,531,1572,447,6154,978,77213.4%
10–142,189,6782,123,6684,313,34611.6%
15–191,901,3321,849,1783,750,51010.1%
20–241,647,2731,613,3413,260,6148.7%
25–291,422,2821,406,8582,829,1407.6%
30–341,212,1961,212,2492,424,4456.5%
35–391,003,9021,020,0992,024,0015.4%
40–44845,626872,8901,718,5164.6%
45–49705,815749,3641,455,1793.9%
50–54622,778674,3461,297,1243.5%
55–59496,370561,6331,058,0032.8%
60–64360,512432,997793,5092.1%
65–69239,502307,252546,7541.5%
70–74139,322194,542333,8640.9%
75–7964,957100,349165,3060.4%
80–8421,24738,71159,9580.2%
85–893,3896,63510,0240.0%
90–942675928590.0%
95–991431450.0%
100+0110.0%

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APA

World Population Pyramid. (2026, September 28). Nigeria Population Pyramid 1950. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/nigeria/1950/

MLA

“Nigeria Population Pyramid 1950.” World Population Pyramid, 28 Sept. 2026, worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/nigeria/1950/.

Chicago

World Population Pyramid. “Nigeria Population Pyramid 1950.” Last modified September 28, 2026. https://worldpopulationpyramid.com/countries/nigeria/1950/.

Underlying data: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2024). World Population Prospects 2024.

Frequently asked questions

What was the population of Nigeria in 1950?

UN World Population Prospects 2024 estimates Nigeria's population in 1950 at 37,283,010.

What was the median age in Nigeria in 1950?

The median age was 18.1 years, compared with 18.3 years in 2026.

What share of Nigeria was under 15 or 65+ in 1950?

41.7% were under 15 and 3.0% aged 65 or older, giving a total age dependency ratio of 80.9.

Sources and notes