The Federation
Nigerian States Ranked by Size and Population
Niger State is the biggest state in Nigeria by land area, covering 76,363 km², while Lagos State is the smallest at 3,577 km². By population, Kano State leads with a projected 15,462,177 people (NPC, 2022). Below, all 36 states are ranked by land area and by population. The Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) is not a state and is excluded from the rankings.
Verified · updated July 10, 2026
Nigerian States Ranked by Land Area (Biggest to Smallest)
The top 10 largest states — Niger, Borno, Taraba, Bauchi, Kaduna, Yobe, Zamfara, Adamawa, Kwara, Kebbi — together cover about 53% of the combined land area of all 36 states.
| Rank | State | Land Area (km²) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | NigerLargest | 76,363 | 8.3% |
| 2 | Borno | 70,898 | 7.7% |
| 3 | Taraba | 54,473 | 5.9% |
| 4 | Bauchi | 49,596 | 5.4% |
| 5 | Kaduna | 46,053 | 5.0% |
| 6 | Yobe | 45,502 | 4.9% |
| 7 | Zamfara | 39,762 | 4.3% |
| 8 | Adamawa | 36,917 | 4.0% |
| 9 | Kwara | 36,825 | 4.0% |
| 10 | Kebbi | 36,800 | 4.0% |
| 11 | Benue | 34,059 | 3.7% |
| 12 | Plateau | 30,913 | 3.3% |
| 13 | Kogi | 29,833 | 3.2% |
| 14 | Oyo | 28,454 | 3.1% |
| 15 | Nasarawa | 26,256 | 2.8% |
| 16 | Sokoto | 25,973 | 2.8% |
| 17 | Katsina | 24,192 | 2.6% |
| 18 | Jigawa | 23,154 | 2.5% |
| 19 | Cross River | 20,156 | 2.2% |
| 20 | Kano | 20,131 | 2.2% |
| 21 | Edo | 19,559 | 2.1% |
| 22 | Gombe | 18,768 | 2.0% |
| 23 | Delta | 17,698 | 1.9% |
| 24 | Ogun | 16,980 | 1.8% |
| 25 | Ondo | 15,500 | 1.7% |
| 26 | Rivers | 11,077 | 1.2% |
| 27 | Bayelsa | 10,773 | 1.2% |
| 28 | Osun | 9,250 | 1.0% |
| 29 | Enugu | 7,161 | 0.8% |
| 30 | Akwa Ibom | 7,081 | 0.8% |
| 31 | Ebonyi | 6,401 | 0.7% |
| 32 | Ekiti | 6,352 | 0.7% |
| 33 | Abia | 6,320 | 0.7% |
| 34 | Imo | 5,530 | 0.6% |
| 35 | Anambra | 4,844 | 0.5% |
| 36 | LagosSmallest | 3,577 | 0.4% |
Nigerian States Ranked by Population
Populations are the official National Population Commission (NPC) 2022 projections, based on the 2006 census. State governments sometimes publish higher estimates — Lagos State, for example, puts its own population above 20 million.
| Rank | State | Population (2022) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | KanoMost Populous | 15,462,177 | 7.2% |
| 2 | Lagos | 13,491,804 | 6.3% |
| 3 | Katsina | 10,368,483 | 4.9% |
| 4 | Kaduna | 9,032,181 | 4.2% |
| 5 | Bauchi | 8,308,783 | 3.9% |
| 6 | Oyo | 7,976,081 | 3.7% |
| 7 | Jigawa | 7,499,059 | 3.5% |
| 8 | Rivers | 7,476,805 | 3.5% |
| 9 | Niger | 6,783,325 | 3.2% |
| 10 | Sokoto | 6,391,047 | 3.0% |
| 11 | Ogun | 6,379,532 | 3.0% |
| 12 | Benue | 6,141,284 | 2.9% |
| 13 | Borno | 6,111,462 | 2.9% |
| 14 | Anambra | 5,953,517 | 2.8% |
| 15 | Zamfara | 5,833,494 | 2.7% |
| 16 | Delta | 5,636,145 | 2.6% |
| 17 | Kebbi | 5,563,907 | 2.6% |
| 18 | Imo | 5,459,337 | 2.6% |
| 19 | Ondo | 5,316,603 | 2.5% |
| 20 | Akwa Ibom | 4,979,418 | 2.3% |
| 21 | Adamawa | 4,902,055 | 2.3% |
| 22 | Edo | 4,777,042 | 2.2% |
| 23 | Plateau | 4,717,305 | 2.2% |
| 24 | Enugu | 4,690,053 | 2.2% |
| 25 | Kogi | 4,466,801 | 2.1% |
| 26 | Osun | 4,435,803 | 2.1% |
| 27 | Cross River | 4,406,204 | 2.1% |
| 28 | Abia | 4,143,093 | 1.9% |
| 29 | Gombe | 3,960,122 | 1.9% |
| 30 | Yobe | 3,649,607 | 1.7% |
| 31 | Taraba | 3,609,843 | 1.7% |
| 32 | Ekiti | 3,592,163 | 1.7% |
| 33 | Kwara | 3,551,023 | 1.7% |
| 34 | Ebonyi | 3,242,518 | 1.5% |
| 35 | Nasarawa | 2,886,022 | 1.4% |
| 36 | BayelsaLeast Populous | 2,537,375 | 1.2% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the biggest state in Nigeria?
Niger State is the biggest state in Nigeria by land area, covering about 76,363 km² — roughly 8.3% of the combined area of all 36 states. By population, the biggest is Kano State.
Which is the smallest state in Nigeria?
Lagos State is the smallest state in Nigeria by land area at about 3,577 km². Despite its size, it is one of the most populous states, making it by far Nigeria's most densely populated state.
Which state has the largest population in Nigeria?
Kano State has the largest population with a projected 15,462,177 people, followed by Lagos State with 13,491,804 (National Population Commission 2022 projections, based on the 2006 census). Lagos State's own estimates put its population above 20 million, but official projections rank it second.
What are the top 10 largest states in Nigeria?
The top 10 largest states by land area are Niger, Borno, Taraba, Bauchi, Kaduna, Yobe, Zamfara, Adamawa, Kwara, Kebbi. Together they cover about 53% of the total land area of Nigeria's 36 states.
Which state has the smallest population in Nigeria?
Bayelsa State has the smallest population with a projected 2,537,375 people (NPC 2022 projection).
Is the FCT (Abuja) bigger than Lagos State?
By land area, yes — the Federal Capital Territory covers about 7,315 km², roughly twice the size of Lagos State. But the FCT is not a state: it is administered by a minister, so it is not included in these rankings.