Quick facts
Ilesa overview
Ilesa (orange) and the other large cities of Nigeria
Ilesa lies in Osun State in Nigeria at 7.63°N, 4.74°E, about 377 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Lagos (UTC+1); GeoNames classifies it as a district seat.
It is smaller than Ijebu Ode (360,000) and larger than Sapele (305,000). The largest city in Nigeria is Lagos with 15,388,000 people; the capital, Abuja, has 2,690,000.
The national capital, Abuja, is about 342 km away; the nearest large city is Efon-Alaaye, 20 km from Ilesa.
Nigeria as a whole has a live population of 243,867,752 (+2% a year) and ranks #6 of 238 countries — see the Nigeria population page for the full statistics and the Nigeria atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Ilesa
Largest cities in Nigeria
| # | City | Region | Population |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lagos | Lagos | 15,388,000 |
| 2 | Kano | Kano State | 4,910,000 |
| 3 | Ibadan | Oyo State | 3,649,000 |
| 4 | AbujaCapital | FCT | 2,690,000 |
| 5 | Port Harcourt | Rivers State | 2,120,000 |
| 6 | Kaduna | Kaduna State | 1,850,000 |
| 7 | Benin City | Edo State | 1,782,000 |
| 8 | Onitsha | Anambra | 1,553,000 |
| 9 | Aba | Abia State | 1,160,000 |
| 10 | Maiduguri | Borno State | 1,110,000 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Ilesa?
Ilesa has about 325,000 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Ilesa the capital of Nigeria?
No. The capital of Nigeria is Abuja (2,690,000 people), about 342 km away. Ilesa is the 43rd largest city of the country and a district seat.
How big is Ilesa compared with the rest of Nigeria?
Its 325,000 residents are 0.1% of the 243,867,752 people living in Nigeria today. Lagos is larger with 15,388,000 people.
Where is Ilesa?
In Osun State, Nigeria, at latitude 7.63 and longitude 4.74, 377 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Efon-Alaaye (20 km), Ile-Ife (26 km), Osogbo (26 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Ilesa Population 2026 — Nigeria. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/ilesa/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/ilesa/">Ilesa Population 2026 — Nigeria</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.