Quick facts
Lagos overview
Lagos (orange) and the other large cities of Nigeria
Lagos lies in Nigeria at 6.45°N, 3.39°E, about 11 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Lagos (UTC+1); GeoNames classifies it as a district seat.
It is the biggest urban centre of Nigeria: the next largest cities are Kano (4,910,000), Ibadan (3,649,000), Abuja (2,690,000). Together, the three largest cities hold 9.8% of the national population.
The national capital, Abuja, is about 537 km away; the nearest large city is Ota, 32 km from Lagos.
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 Lagos
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 Lagos?
Lagos has about 15,388,000 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Lagos the capital of Nigeria?
No. The capital of Nigeria is Abuja (2,690,000 people), about 537 km away. Lagos is the largest city of the country and a district seat.
How big is Lagos compared with the rest of Nigeria?
Its 15,388,000 residents are 6.3% of the 243,867,752 people living in Nigeria today. It is the largest city in the country.
Where is Lagos?
In Nigeria, at latitude 6.45 and longitude 3.39, 11 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Ota (32 km), Shagamu (52 km), Ijebu Ode (71 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Lagos Population 2026 — Nigeria. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/lagos/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/lagos/">Lagos 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.