The most populous country in Africa as of 2022 was Nigeria.
As of 2023, the opposite of Nigeria was the island nation of Seychelles in terms of population. Whereas Seychelles is the smallest country in terms of land area and population, Nigeria is the largest in Africa in terms of population but not in terms of land area. Whiles Seychelles is in East Africa, Nigeria is in West Africa.
Nigeria or the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country in West Africa. Geographically, it lies between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. It covers an area of 923,769 square kilometers. Although it is not the largest country in Africa in terms of area, it is the largest in terms of population. It has a population of around 218 million, making it the most populous country in Africa and the sixth most populous country in the world as of 2022.
In 2021, the population of Nigeria was estimated at 213,401,323; and the distribution of the population was such that 51.7% were in rural areas and 48.3% in urban areas. The population density is such that there are 167.5 people per square kilometer. Additionally, about 42.5% of the population was 14 years of age or younger; 19.6% were between 15 and 24 years old; 30.7% were between the ages of 25 and 54; 4.0% were aged 55 to 64; 3.1% were aged 65 or over. In 2017, the median age was 18.4; the birth rate was 35.2 births per 1,000 inhabitants; the mortality rate was 9.6 deaths per 1000 population; the total fertility rate was 5.07 children born per woman.
The official language of Nigeria is English and there are other important national and indigenous languages such as Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo. Some large ethnic groups in Nigeria are Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, Fulani, Tiv, Kanuri, Ibibio, Ijaw, and many others. The capital city of Nigeria is Abuja but its largest city is Lagos. Aside from being the most populous country in Africa, Nigeria is also the largest economy in Africa.
