What is the highest surface area recorded in Nigeria?

The highest recorded value was 923,770 sq. km in 1961.

What is the lowest surface area recorded in Nigeria?

The lowest recorded value was 923,770 sq. km in 1961.

How does Nigeria rank for surface area?

Nigeria ranks 31st out of 216 countries with data for 2023.

Is surface area rising or falling in Nigeria?

Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.

Surface area in Nigeria

Name: Surface area in Nigeria
Creator: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

Nigeria: Surface area was 923,770 sq. km in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)

923,770 sq. km

Change on year

unchanged

World rank

31st

of 216 countries

All-time high

923,770 sq. km

in 1961

All-time low

923,770 sq. km

in 1961

Years of data

1961–2023

Surface area in Nigeria, 1961–2023

Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in sq. km.

Analysis

The most recent figure for surface area in Nigeria is 923,770 sq. km, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.

That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, surface area in Nigeria peaked at 923,770 sq. km in 1961 and was at its lowest, 923,770 sq. km, in 1961.

Nigeria ranks 31st of 216 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Surface area in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Surface area (sq. km) in Nigeria, 1961 to 2023.
Year	sq. km	Change
1961	923,770 sq. km	—
1962	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1963	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1964	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1965	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1966	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1967	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1968	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1969	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1970	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1971	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1972	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1973	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1974	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1975	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1976	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1977	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1978	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1979	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1980	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1981	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1982	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1983	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1984	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1985	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1986	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1987	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1988	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1989	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1990	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1991	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1992	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1993	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1994	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1995	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1996	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1997	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1998	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
1999	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2000	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2001	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2002	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2003	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2004	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2005	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2006	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2007	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2008	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2009	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2010	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2011	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2012	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2013	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2014	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2015	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2016	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2017	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2018	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2019	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2020	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2021	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2022	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%
2023	923,770 sq. km	+0.0%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

Nigeria's 923,770 sq. km is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 199,950 sq. km, 4.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Nigeria's 923,770 sq. km is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 298,330 sq. km, 3.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1960s	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	9
1970s	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	10
1980s	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	10
1990s	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	10
2000s	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	10
2010s	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	10
2020s	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	923,770 sq. km	4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

28 Mauritania 1.03 million sq. km compare
29 Egypt 1.00 million sq. km compare
30 Tanzania 947,300 sq. km compare
32 Venezuela 912,050 sq. km compare
33 Namibia 824,290 sq. km compare
34 Mozambique 799,380 sq. km compare

See the full ranking of 264 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is surface area in Nigeria?: Surface area in Nigeria was 923,770 sq. km in 2023, according to FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
What is the highest surface area recorded in Nigeria?: The highest recorded value was 923,770 sq. km in 1961.
What is the lowest surface area recorded in Nigeria?: The lowest recorded value was 923,770 sq. km in 1961.
How does Nigeria rank for surface area?: Nigeria ranks 31st out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
Is surface area rising or falling in Nigeria?: Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?: The figures come from FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Surface area (sq. km). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Surface area in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/surface-area-sq-km/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator: Surface area (sq. km)
Unit: sq. km
Source: FAO electronic files and web site, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 264 places, 16,456 data points, 1961–2023
Last refreshed: 17 September 2026

Surface area is a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.