Quick facts
Yola overview
Yola (orange) and the other large cities of Nigeria
Yola lies in Adamawa in Nigeria at 9.21°N, 12.48°E, about 180 m above sea level. The local time zone is Africa/Lagos (UTC+1); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Ikare (465,000) and larger than Uyo (436,606). 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 548 km away; the nearest large city is Jimeta, 8 km from Yola.
Nigeria as a whole has a live population of 243,910,156 (+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 Yola
| City | Distance | Population |
|---|---|---|
| Jimeta Adamawa | 8 km | 248,148 |
| Jalingo Taraba State | 128 km | 117,757 |
| Mubi Adamawa | 146 km | 225,705 |
| Guider North ·  Cameroon | 180 km | 81,608 |
| Gombe Gombe State | 188 km | 560,000 |
| Pindiga Gombe State | 189 km | 106,322 |
| Léré Mayo-Kebbi Ouest ·  Chad | 196 km | 32,721 |
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 Yola?
Yola has about 460,000 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Yola the capital of Nigeria?
No. The capital of Nigeria is Abuja (2,690,000 people), about 548 km away. Yola is the 30th largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Yola compared with the rest of Nigeria?
Its 460,000 residents are 0.2% of the 243,910,156 people living in Nigeria today. Lagos is larger with 15,388,000 people.
Where is Yola?
In Adamawa, Nigeria, at latitude 9.21 and longitude 12.48, 180 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Jimeta (8 km), Jalingo (128 km), Mubi (146 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Yola Population 2026 — Nigeria. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/yola/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/nigeria/yola/">Yola 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 2026-10-23. More about our data.