Ethiopia vs Nigeria
Nigeria has 1.8× the population of Ethiopia: 237,527,782 vs 135,472,051, a gap of 102.1 million. Ethiopia is growing faster (+2.55% vs +2.06% a year), adding about 3,455,994 people a year against +4,898,468. Using continuous exponential growth from the stated base year, if these rates held, Ethiopia would overtake Nigeria in about 115 years (from the 2025 population bases, around 2140) — a projection, not a forecast. Nigeria is 2.2× as densely populated (250.2 vs 114.0 people per km²). People in Ethiopia live 13.0 years longer on average (67.6 vs 54.6). GDP per capita is 1.3× higher in Nigeria ($1,224 vs $933).
Country/territory population bases: World Bank 2025 (Ethiopia) and 2025 (Nigeria); growth years 2025 / 2025. Annual source values, not live counts; years may differ. Growth is national, not local.
Ethiopia vs Nigeria — side by side
 Ethiopia |  Nigeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 135,472,0512025 | 237,527,7822025 |
| Growth rate / yr | +2.55%2025 | +2.06%2025 |
| Births per 1,000 | 31.52024 | 32.52024 |
| Deaths per 1,000 | 5.92024 | 11.62024 |
| Children per woman | 3.912024 | 4.382024 |
| Life expectancy | 67.6 yrs2024 | 54.6 yrs2024 |
| Aged 0–14 | 38.8%2025 | 40.5%2025 |
| Aged 65+ | 3.3%2025 | 3.1%2025 |
| Density | 114.0 /km²2023 | 250.2 /km²2023 |
| Area | 1,136,240 km²2023 | 923,770 km²2023 |
| Urban population | 24.1%2025 | 63.8%2025 |
| Net migration / yr | +24,0542025 | -15,2582025 |
| GDP per capita | $9332025 | $1,2242025 |
| Country population rank (available records) | #10 | #6 |
| Base / world population (World Bank 2025) | 1.65% | 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). Ethiopia: 6.3× 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
Region: Sub-Saharan Africa · rankings
Ethiopia: Ethiopia vs India, Ethiopia vs China, Ethiopia vs United States, Ethiopia vs Indonesia, Ethiopia vs Pakistan, Ethiopia vs Nigeria, Ethiopia vs Brazil, Ethiopia vs Bangladesh.
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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