Niger Population

Population Distribution

People in Niger

22 million people live in Niger. The population has grown rapidly in the last few decades. The population is still growing, namely by 3.7 percent every year. Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world.

There are many people who live in Niger. With 55 percent, the Hausa make up the largest share. They live in the south, on the border with Nigeria. You can see it in red on the map. The Zarma and Songhai only make up 21 percent of the population, but they are the ones who hold political rule in the country. They live in the southwest, where the capital Niamey is located. On the map you can see their main residential area in yellow.

9.3 percent of Nigerians belong to the Tuareg. Tuareg are among the Berbers. Tuareg traditionally live as nomads. So they don't have a permanent place of residence, but move around and live in tents. Meanwhile, however, many Tuareg have also settled down. Incidentally, the Tuareg do not use this name to refer to themselves. On the map you can see their habitat in dark green.

8.5 percent of Nigerians are Fulani (in purple on the map). They live in the southwest near the border with Burkina Faso. Kanuri (in light green) live in the southeast, on the border with Nigeria. They make up 4.7 percent of the population. The Kanuri see themselves as descendants of the Bornu empire.

• Children: Every woman in Niger has an average of seven children (6.9). This is very much. With us, each woman has an average of only 1.4 children. Children and young people in Niger make up a large proportion of the population. More than half of the population is under 18 years old!
• Infant mortality is 2.5 percent, child mortality for one-year-olds is 4.8 percent (as of 2018, ours: 0.2 and 0.3 percent). That means: a little less than three out of 100 newborn children die, almost five out of 100 children do not celebrate their first birthday. The numbers have fallen sharply in the last few decades, but are still far too high.
• Urban and countryside: 16 percent of Nigerians live in cities. That is little compared to other countries in West Africa.

Languages in Niger

The official language in Niger is French. It is a legacy from the colonial days when Niger was under French rule. Even so, French is only spoken by around 10 percent of the population. French is used more in writing.

In addition to French, there are a few other languages ​​spoken in Niger, as different peoples live in one country. You count eleven to 24 languages ​​- depending on how you count them, you get different results. As national languages Arabic, Buduma, Fulfulde, Gourmanchéma, Hausa, Kanuri, Songhai-Zarma, Tamascheq, Tasawaq Language and Tubu apply by law. They are to be specially protected.

Hausa is an important language. It is the language of the Hausa people, but is spoken by 75 percent of the population in Niger, either as a first or second language, and even understood by 85 percent. Hausa is the most important commercial language in West and Central Africa. In addition to French, Hausa is taught in primary schools. Hausa can be written in Latin letters, but also in Arabic.

Other languages are Songhai-Djerma (22 percent speakers in Niger), Fulfulde (language of the Fulbe, 10 percent), Tamascheq (language of the Tuareg, 10 percent) and Kanuri (4 percent).

The Tuareg language is written in a special script. It's called the Tifinagh script. The letters are geometric signs that look like a circle or a plus sign, for example. It looks like this, for example: ⴻⵍⵎⴻⵖⵔⵉⴱ.

Religions in Niger

94 percent of Nigerians profess Islam. Christians and followers of ancient natural religions are therefore in the minority.

• Niger Location on Map