Number of people using the Internet in Nigeria
Nigeria: Number of people using the Internet was 95.89 million people in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Number of people using the Internet in Nigeria, 1990–2024
Source: World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, number of people using the internet in Nigeria stood at 95.89 million people. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 145.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people using the internet in Nigeria peaked at 95.89 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1990.
That places Nigeria 10th out of 208 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Number of people using the Internet in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0 people | — |
| 1996 | 10,044 people | — |
| 1997 | 20,082 people | +99.9% |
| 1998 | 30,201 people | +50.4% |
| 1999 | 50,449 people | +67.0% |
| 2000 | 80,987 people | +60.5% |
| 2001 | 116,748 people | +44.2% |
| 2002 | 427,727 people | +266.4% |
| 2003 | 766,381 people | +79.2% |
| 2004 | 1.81 million people | +136.7% |
| 2005 | 5.15 million people | +183.7% |
| 2006 | 8.27 million people | +60.6% |
| 2007 | 10.38 million people | +25.5% |
| 2008 | 12.61 million people | +21.5% |
| 2009 | 15.07 million people | +19.5% |
| 2010 | 19.16 million people | +27.2% |
| 2011 | 23.65 million people | +23.4% |
| 2012 | 28.37 million people | +19.9% |
| 2013 | 34.58 million people | +21.9% |
| 2014 | 39.04 million people | +12.9% |
| 2015 | 42.93 million people | +10.0% |
| 2016 | 47.18 million people | +9.9% |
| 2017 | 51.82 million people | +9.8% |
| 2018 | 56.86 million people | +9.7% |
| 2019 | 62.31 million people | +9.6% |
| 2020 | 68.24 million people | +9.5% |
| 2021 | 77.60 million people | +13.7% |
| 2022 | 87.36 million people | +12.6% |
| 2023 | 91.30 million people | +4.5% |
| 2024 | 95.89 million people | +5.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 95.89 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.91 million people, 16.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 95.89 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.88 million people, 24.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of people using the Internet in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +266.4% | 116,748 people | 427,727 people |
| 2005 | +183.7% | 1.81 million people | 5.15 million people |
| 2004 | +136.7% | 766,381 people | 1.81 million people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22,155 people | 0 people | 50,449 people | 5 |
| 2000s | 5.47 million people | 80,987 people | 15.07 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.59 million people | 19.16 million people | 62.31 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.08 million people | 68.24 million people | 95.89 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More science & technology data for Nigeria
- Mobile landline subscriptions, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, gaps filled 70.76 (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per capita 0.7076 units per person (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, gaps filled 164.65 million (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, per square kilometre 246.4 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Mobile landline subscriptions, annual growth rate -28.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Mobile cellular subscriptions by country, annual growth rate -26.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Scientific and technical journal articles 9,799 (2023)
- Scientific and technical journal articles, per capita 0 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people using the internet in Nigeria?
- Number of people using the internet in Nigeria was 95.89 million people in 2024, according to World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi.
- What is the highest number of people using the internet recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 95.89 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of people using the internet recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1990.
- How does Nigeria rank for number of people using the internet?
- Nigeria ranks 10th out of 208 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of people using the internet rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 145.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database - International Telecommunication Union (ITU), via World Bank (2026); United Nations Population Division, national statistical offices, and Eurostat, vi, published as part of Number of people using the Internet. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people who used the Internet in the last three months.