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Nigeria ninth most populous country
Nigeria is ninth most populous country in the world, according to this year's edition of the Population Data Sheet, published by US-based Population Reference Bureau.
However, the country, with a current growth rate of 2.8 per cent, is expected to move to the seventh position in 45 years, according to the publication.
China, India and the US are leading with 1.3 billion, 1.1 billion and 296 million respectively.
Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Russia follow with 222 million, 184 million, 162 million, 144 million and 143 million in that order.
By 2050, India is projected to top the league of the world's 10 largest countries with 1.6 billion people, displacing China with a projected population of 1.4 billion by then, while the US is expected to maintain its third place.
By then, Nigeria is expected to have 258 million people.
Meanwhile, the publication has ranked 10 countries with the lowest life expectancy, nine of which are in Africa.
Life expectancy in Botswana, Swaziland and Lesotho is the lowest, put at 35 years. In Zambia, it is 37, Angola and Sierra Leone, 40, Zimbabwe, 41, while Afghanisan, Liberia and Mozambique have 42 years.
In contrast, 10 countries with highest life expectancy begin with Japan, 82 years, Iceland and Sweden 81 years, while Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Norway, Spain and Switzerland have 80 years each.
The publication also lists 11 countries with highest fertility, ranging from eight children in Niger to 6.5 children in Sierra Leone. Eleven countries with the lowest fertility were also listed, from Belarus to Ukraine, all having a maximum of 1.2 children.
The Population Reference Bureau informs people around the world about population, health and the environment.
It also empowers them to use information to advance the well being of current and future generations.
It puts the population of the country at 132 million.
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