Quick facts
Onitsha overview
Onitsha (orange) and the other large cities of Nigeria
Onitsha lies in Anambra in Nigeria at 6.15°N, 6.79°E, about 57 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Lagos (UTC+1); GeoNames classifies it as a district seat.
It is smaller than Benin City (1,782,000) and larger than Aba (1,160,000). 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 333 km away; the nearest large city is Nkpor, 5 km from Onitsha.
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 Onitsha
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 Onitsha?
Onitsha has about 1,553,000 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Onitsha the capital of Nigeria?
No. The capital of Nigeria is Abuja (2,690,000 people), about 333 km away. Onitsha is the 8th largest city of the country and a district seat.
How big is Onitsha compared with the rest of Nigeria?
Its 1,553,000 residents are 0.6% of the 243,867,752 people living in Nigeria today. Lagos is larger with 15,388,000 people.
Where is Onitsha?
In Anambra, Nigeria, at latitude 6.15 and longitude 6.79, 57 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Nkpor (5 km), Atani (16 km), Nnewi (21 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Onitsha Population 2026 — Nigeria. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/onitsha/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/onitsha/">Onitsha 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.