Land use in Nigeria
Nigeria: Land use was 44.23 million hectares in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
44.23 million hectares
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
7th
of 224 countries
All-time high
44.23 million hectares
in 2023
All-time low
27.18 million hectares
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Land use in Nigeria, 1961–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hectares.
Analysis
In 2023, land use in Nigeria stood at 44.23 million hectares. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, land use in Nigeria peaked at 44.23 million hectares in 2023 and was at its lowest, 27.18 million hectares, in 1961.
Nigeria ranks 7th of 224 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Land use in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | hectares | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 27.18 million hectares | — |
| 1962 | 27.32 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 27.47 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 27.62 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 27.77 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1966 | 27.81 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 27.56 million hectares | -0.9% |
| 1968 | 27.71 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 27.95 million hectares | +0.9% |
| 1970 | 28.15 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 28.30 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1972 | 28.45 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1973 | 28.59 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1974 | 28.74 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 28.89 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1976 | 29.04 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 29.23 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 29.38 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 29.73 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 29.98 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 30.12 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 30.27 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 30.42 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1984 | 30.77 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 31.11 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 31.36 million hectares | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 31.48 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 31.71 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 31.89 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 32.07 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 33.30 million hectares | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 34.50 million hectares | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 34.90 million hectares | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 35.90 million hectares | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 38.10 million hectares | +6.1% |
| 1996 | 38.30 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 38.50 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 39.35 million hectares | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 40.50 million hectares | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 40.80 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 41.55 million hectares | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 41.69 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 41.80 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 41.91 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 42.12 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 41.85 million hectares | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 42.05 million hectares | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 42.10 million hectares | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 43.30 million hectares | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 42.33 million hectares | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 42.26 million hectares | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 42.38 million hectares | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 42.08 million hectares | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 42.09 million hectares | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 42.19 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 42.27 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 42.43 million hectares | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 42.90 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 43.35 million hectares | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 43.67 million hectares | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 43.74 million hectares | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 44.02 million hectares | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 44.23 million hectares | +0.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 44.23 million hectares is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.82 million hectares, 15.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 44.23 million hectares is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.21 million hectares, 13.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 27.60 million hectares | 27.18 million hectares | 27.95 million hectares | 9 |
| 1970s | 28.85 million hectares | 28.15 million hectares | 29.73 million hectares | 10 |
| 1980s | 30.91 million hectares | 29.98 million hectares | 31.89 million hectares | 10 |
| 1990s | 36.54 million hectares | 32.07 million hectares | 40.50 million hectares | 10 |
| 2000s | 41.92 million hectares | 40.80 million hectares | 43.30 million hectares | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.43 million hectares | 42.08 million hectares | 43.35 million hectares | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.91 million hectares | 43.67 million hectares | 44.23 million hectares | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More environment data for Nigeria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.07 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.281 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.78 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is land use in Nigeria?
- Land use in Nigeria was 44.23 million hectares in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest land use recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 44.23 million hectares in 2023.
- What is the lowest land use recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.18 million hectares in 1961.
- How does Nigeria rank for land use?
- Nigeria ranks 7th out of 224 countries with data for 2023.
- Is land use rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Land use. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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