List of Nigerian states by population from 2006-2023
The table below lists Nigeria’s 36 states, ranked by total population according to the 2006 Census data, along with their projected populations for 2019, as published by the National Bureau of Statistics.
| State | Population (2006) | Population (2023) | Surface Area (km²) | Density (2023) (per km²) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kano State | 9,401,288 | 16,253,549 | 20,131 | 807.39 |
| Lagos State | 9,113,605 | 15,772,884 | 3,345 | 4,715.36 |
| Katsina State | 5,801,584 | 9,300,382 | 24,192 | 384.44 |
| Kaduna State | 6,113,503 | 8,324,285 | 46,053 | 180.75 |
| Bauchi State | 4,653,066 | 7,540,663 | 45,893 | 164.31 |
| Oyo State | 5,580,894 | 7,512,855 | 28,454 | 264.08 |
| Anambra State | 5,177,828 | 7,299,910 | 4,844 | 1,507.26 |
| Rivers State | 5,198,716 | 7,234,973 | 11,077 | 653.01 |
| Jigawa State | 4,361,002 | 6,979,080 | 23,154 | 301.38 |
| Niger State | 3,954,772 | 6,720,617 | 76,363 | 87.99 |
| Benue State | 4,253,641 | 6,687,706 | 34,059 | 196.34 |
| Borno State | 4,171,104 | 6,651,590 | 70,898 | 93.80 |
| Ogun State | 3,751,140 | 6,445,275 | 16,762 | 384.52 |
| Sokoto State | 3,702,676 | 6,163,187 | 25,973 | 237.34 |
| Delta State | 5,112,445 | 7,107,543 | 17,698 | 401.58 |
| Imo State | 3,927,563 | 6,067,722 | 5,530 | 1,097.70 |
| Kebbi State | 3,256,541 | 6,001,610 | 36,800 | 163.10 |
| Ondo State | 3,460,877 | 5,469,707 | 15,500 | 352.24 |
| Akwa Ibom State | 3,902,051 | 5,780,581 | 7,081 | 816.11 |
| Zamfara State | 3,278,873 | 5,517,793 | 39,762 | 138.75 |
| Plateau State | 3,206,531 | 5,400,974 | 30,913 | 174.67 |
| Enugu State | 3,267,837 | 5,396,098 | 7,161 | 753.71 |
| Adamawa State | 3,178,950 | 5,236,948 | 36,917 | 141.84 |
| Edo State | 3,233,366 | 5,161,137 | 17,802 | 289.89 |
| Kogi State | 3,314,043 | 5,053,734 | 29,833 | 169.04 |
| Abia State | 2,845,380 | 4,841,943 | 5,243 | 923.59 |
| Federal Capital Territory | 1,406,239 | 4,802,443 | 7,315 | 656.93 |
| Gombe State | 2,365,040 | 4,623,462 | 20,265 | 228.77 |
| Yobe State | 2,321,339 | 4,350,401 | 45,502 | 95.57 |
| Taraba State | 2,294,800 | 4,331,885 | 54,473 | 79.53 |
| Kwara State | 2,365,353 | 4,259,613 | 36,825 | 115.88 |
| Osun State | 3,416,959 | 4,237,396 | 14,875 | 285.27 |
| Cross River State | 2,892,988 | 4,175,020 | 20,156 | 207.85 |
| Ebonyi State | 2,176,947 | 4,007,155 | 5,670 | 706.88 |
| Nasarawa State | 1,869,377 | 3,632,239 | 27,110 | 134.87 |
| Ekiti State | 2,398,957 | 3,398,177 | 6,353 | 534.83 |
| Bayelsa State | 1,704,515 | 2,394,725 | 21,110 | 113.58 |