China vs Nigeria
China has 5.9× the population of Nigeria: 1,406,585,000 vs 237,527,782, a gap of 1.17 billion. Nigeria is growing faster (+2.06% vs −0.17% a year), adding about 4,898,468 people a year against −2,387,972. Using continuous exponential growth from the stated base year, if these rates held, Nigeria would overtake China in about 80 years (from the 2025 population bases, around 2105) — a projection, not a forecast. China is the older society: 14.9% aged 65+ against 3.1% in Nigeria, while Nigeria has more children (40.5% under 15 vs 15.4%). Nigeria is 1.7× as densely populated (250.2 vs 150.3 people per km²). People in China live 23.4 years longer on average (78.0 vs 54.6). GDP per capita is 11.3× higher in China ($13,862 vs $1,224).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (China) and 2025 (Nigeria); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
China vs Nigeria — side by side
 China |  Nigeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,406,585,0002025 | 237,527,7822025 |
| Growth rate / yr | −0.17%2025 | +2.06%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 6.82024 | 32.52024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 7.82024 | 11.62024 |
| Children per woman | 1.012024 | 4.382024 |
| Life expectancy | 78.0 yrs2024 | 54.6 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 15.4%2025 | 40.5%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 14.9%2025 | 3.1%2025 |
| Density | 150.3 /km²2023 | 250.2 /km²2023 |
| Area | 9,562,910 km²2023 | 923,770 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 66.3%2025 | 63.8%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | -268,1262025 | -15,2582025 |
| GDP per capita | $13,8622025 | $1,2242025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #2 | #6 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 17.12% | 2.89% |
Highlighted cell = the higher value (not "better"). Small print under each value is its own data year. Source: World Bank; country/territory population bases may have different years. These are not live counts.
Population since 1960
World Bank population history (not the separate UN WPP timeline). China: 2.1× from 1960 to 2025; Nigeria: 5.3× from 1960 to 2025. Left: absolute population. Right: each series indexed to its own first available year = 100; baseline years may differ.
More comparisons
Regions: East Asia & Pacific · Sub-Saharan Africa · rankings
China: China vs India, China vs United States, China vs Indonesia, China vs Pakistan, China vs Nigeria, China vs Brazil, China vs Bangladesh, China vs Russia.
Nigeria: Nigeria vs India, Nigeria vs China, Nigeria vs United States, Nigeria vs Indonesia, Nigeria vs Pakistan, Nigeria vs Brazil, Nigeria vs Bangladesh, Nigeria vs Russia.
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This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.