Ethiopia vs Nigeria: population pyramids in 1959
EthiopiaNigeria
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.
Ethiopia and Nigeria compared
In 1959, Ethiopia has a population of 20.6 million and Nigeria 43.7 million; Nigeria is about 2.1 times the size of Ethiopia.
The share aged 65 and over is 2.9% in Ethiopia and 3.3% in Nigeria, almost the same. The median age is 18.5 years in Ethiopia and 19.3 years in Nigeria.
The total fertility rate is 6.49 in Ethiopia and 6.37 in Nigeria, both above the replacement level of about 2.1. Life expectancy at birth is 39.2 years in Ethiopia and 37.0 years in Nigeria.
By 2050, the population of Ethiopia is projected to grow by 981.6% and that of Nigeria to grow by 716.4% compared with 1959.
GDP per person is $933 in Ethiopia (2025) and $1,224 in Nigeria (2025).
Key figures (1959)
| Ethiopia | Nigeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 20.6 million | 43.7 million |
| Aged 0–14 | 42.3% | 41.2% |
| Aged 15–64 | 54.8% | 55.5% |
| Aged 65+ | 2.9% | 3.3% |
| Median age | 18.5 yrs | 19.3 yrs |
| Old-age dependency | 5.2 | 5.9 |
| Total fertility rate | 6.49 | 6.37 |
| Life expectancy | 39.2 yrs | 37.0 yrs |
| Population growth | +2.32% | +1.97% |
| Net migration (per year) | -5,646 | -3,019 |
| GDP | $126B (2025) | $291B (2025) |
| GDP per person | $933 (2025) | $1,224 (2025) |
| Unemployment | 3.3% (2025) | 3.1% (2025) |
Economic figures are the latest year published for each country.