Does Nigeria have more people than Brazil?
Yes. Nigeria has more people than Brazil: about 238 million against 213 million (World Bank estimates for 2025), 1.1 times as many.
Nigeria is also more crowded: 261 people per km² of land against 25.5.
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Why it surprises
Brazil is the giant of South America, with more than nine times Nigeria’s land: about 8.4 million km² against 911,000 km². Yet Nigeria has the larger population, about 238 million against 213 million in the World Bank’s 2025 estimates, which puts Nigeria sixth in the world and Brazil seventh. The two totals are close, and Nigeria’s lead comes from its age structure. Its population is very young: a 2023 UN Population Fund programme document put the share of people under 25 at about 63%. That reflects high birth rates combined with falling death rates, and a young population keeps growing as each large generation reaches adulthood. Nigeria is also far more crowded, with about 261 people per km² of land against Brazil’s 25, so a large map shape is no guide here.
Sources for this explanation
- United Nations Population Fund: nigeria.unfpa.org, checked 25 October 2026
- World Bank: documents1.worldbank.org, checked 25 October 2026
Where the numbers come from
Population and area: The World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0). Total population (SP.POP.TOTL) for 2025. Details: Nigeria and Brazil.
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