Federal Capital Territory: population, poverty, prices, health, schools and state finances

Federal Capital Territory is a federal capital territory of Nigeria, number 35 of 37 by population. The National Population Commission projected the population of the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja) at 3,171,148 for 2023 (1,653,344 male, 1,517,804 female), 1.4% of Nigeria's 221.25 million; 3rd smallest of the 36 states and the FCT. Nigeria has not held a census since 2006, so every state figure is a projection from that count.

In depth

• Economy, jobs and prices in Federal Capital Territory: 20.4% of people in the FCT are poor and live with an unemployed adult, and 11.7% are poor and live with an underemployed adult (2021/22).
• Health in Federal Capital Territory: A baby born in the FCT in 2022 could expect to live 58.4 years if a boy and 64.3 years if a girl, according to NPC estimates; 5th longest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 55.1 and 57.2).
• Education in Federal Capital Territory: 12.8% of the FCT's 0.79 million school-age children (6 to 15) were not attending school, about 100,000 children; joint 14th lowest of the 36 states and the FCT (Nigeria: 28.7%).
• Poverty and living standards in Federal Capital Territory: 48.3% of people in the FCT were multidimensionally poor in the 2022 Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (survey 2021/22), about 1.59 million people. That rate is joint 10th lowest of the 36 states and the FCT; the national rate was 63%.
• Government budget and revenue in Federal Capital Territory: The FCT raised ₦356.3 billion of its own revenue (taxes plus fees and charges from its ministries and agencies) in 2025, 6.9% of the ₦5.15 trillion raised by all states and the FCT; 4th highest of the 36 states and the FCT. That was up 26.2% on 2024 (₦282.4 billion).

More figures

• The 2023-24 Demographic and Health Survey measured a fertility rate of 3.2 births per woman in the FCT (Nigeria: 4.8), joint 4th lowest of the 36 states and the FCT. Source: National Population Commission and Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (with ICF) · saved copy

How federal capital territorys are governed in Nigeria

States (36) and the Federal Capital Territory. State governor and House of Assembly elected; the FCT is run by a minister appointed by the president. Major government level: makes the laws that create and run local governments; runs State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).

Every tier of government in Nigeria

Other federal capital territories of Nigeria

• Kano 15,671,491
• Lagos 13,710,862
• Katsina 10,661,373
• Kaduna 9,249,537
• Bauchi 8,529,872
• Oyo 8,127,483
• Jigawa 7,687,056
• Rivers 7,616,859
• Niger 6,965,970
• Ogun 6,512,195
• Sokoto 6,501,265
• Benue 6,259,867
• Borno 6,207,654
• Anambra 6,061,011
• Zamfara 5,990,131
• Delta 5,737,314
• Kebbi 5,711,801
• Imo 5,548,808
• Ondo 5,422,399
• Akwa Ibom 5,044,286
• Adamawa 5,017,720
• Edo 4,874,613
• Plateau 4,807,502
• Enugu 4,768,489
• Kogi 4,557,686
• Osun 4,494,970
• Cross River 4,490,963
• Abia 4,232,255
• Gombe 4,058,199
• Yobe 3,728,525
• Taraba 3,689,513
• Ekiti 3,667,047
• Kwara 3,626,882
• Ebonyi 3,315,180
• Nasarawa 2,948,849
• Bayelsa 2,583,352

Up a level: Nigeria · government and power in Nigeria

Sources

• National Bureau of Statistics: Annual Abstract of Statistics 2023, Table 434: deposit money bank branches by state, 2017-2022 (Central Bank of Nigeria), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e033cb20cc2d…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: Cost of a Healthy Diet, April 2026: state averages (naira per person per day), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f0db22b5253f…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: CPI and Inflation Report September 2026: Table 1 (national) and Table 5 (state consumer price indices), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6951a9d0b87f…)
• Debt Management Office: Domestic debt data for the 36 states and the FCT as at June 30, 2026, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 17e59a86a5ba…)
• Debt Management Office: States, FCT and Federal Government's external debt stock as at June 30, 2026 (provisional), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 56a465c0c569…)
• Federal Ministry of Education: Federal Capital Territory Education Statistics 2024: Annual School Census 2024/25 (Digital Nigeria Education Management Information System), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d913e4383131…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: FAAC Disbursement July 2026 (June 2026 revenue): Table III state governments and LGC summary (Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation data), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7de8f58a0d10…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: Internally Generated Revenue at State Level 2025, with data for 2019-2025 (IGR_DATA_2019_2025.xlsx), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e3710744bb15…)
• National Population Commission (with ICF): Nigeria Mini Demographic and Health Survey 2025-26, Key Indicators Report: Tables 8, 10, 12, 16 and 17 by state, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6917a48ddb5f…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: Nigeria Multidimensional Poverty Index (2022), Appendix D tables by state, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 26498590b192…)
• National Population Commission and Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (with ICF): Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2023-24, Key Indicators Report: Tables 4, 11 and 14 (fertility, child mortality, birth registration by state), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 94af6e60f7ed…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: Premium Motor Spirit (Petrol) Price Watch, May 2026: average price per litre by state, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b792493b6fb8…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: Demographic Bulletin 2023 datasheet, Annex 3: projected population by state, 2023 (NPC); Annex 8: internally displaced persons by state (NBS/IOM), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6764616bf151…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: Telecoms Data Q4 2025: active voice and internet subscriptions per state (Telecoms_Q4_2025.xlsx), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 70362bae97f6…)
• National Bureau of Statistics: Demographic Statistics Bulletin 2022, Annexes 7-12: births, deaths, life expectancy, fertility and infant mortality by state (NPC), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b1ee55e5952a…)

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