Egypt vs Nigeria: population pyramids in 1978
EgyptNigeria
Each bar is the share of the total population at that single year of age (men left, women right), so countries of different sizes can be compared.
Egypt and Nigeria compared
In 1978, Egypt has a population of 41.2 million and Nigeria 68.3 million; Nigeria is about 1.7 times the size of Egypt.
The share aged 65 and over is 4.0% in Egypt and 3.2% in Nigeria, 0.8 points higher in Egypt. The median age is 19.3 years in Egypt and 18.0 years in Nigeria.
The total fertility rate is 5.63 in Egypt and 6.92 in Nigeria, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 54.1 years in Egypt and 45.4 years in Nigeria.
By 2050, the population of Egypt is projected to grow by 290.1% and that of Nigeria to grow by 423.0% compared with 1978.
GDP per person is $3,086 in Egypt (2025) and $1,224 in Nigeria (2025).
Key figures (1978)
| Egypt | Nigeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 41.2 million | 68.3 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 41.1% | 44.0% |
| Aged 15–64 | 54.9% | 52.8% |
| Aged 65+ | 4.0% | 3.2% |
| Median age | 19.3 yrs | 18.0 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 7.3 | 6.0 |
| Total fertility rate | 5.63 | 6.92 |
| Life expectancy | 54.1 yrs | 45.4 yrs |
| Population growth | +2.48% | +3.07% |
| Net migration (per year) | -73,664 | +111,258 |
| GDP | $365B (2025) | $291B (2025) |
| GDP per person | $3,086 (2025) | $1,224 (2025) |
| Unemployment | 6.8% (2025) | 3.1% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.