Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Peru is 39% bigger than Nigeria.
Nigeria: 923,770 km² (2023) · Peru: 1,285,220 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Peru’s coastline is 2.8 times as long as Nigeria’s.
Nigeria: 853 km (2026 edition) · Peru: 2,414 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Peru’s highest peak towers 4,327 m above Nigeria’s.
Nigeria: 2,419 m (2026 edition) · Peru: 6,746 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Nigeria has 6.9 times as many people as Peru.
Nigeria: 238 million (2025) · Peru: 34.6 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Nigeria is 9.7 times as densely populated as Peru.
Nigeria: 261 per km² (2025) · Peru: 27 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Nigeria are 4.8 cm taller than in Peru.
Nigeria: 171.6 cm (2019) · Peru: 166.8 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Nigeria are 3.8 cm taller than in Peru.
Nigeria: 158.1 cm (2019) · Peru: 154.4 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Peru is 12 years older than in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 17.8 years (2023) · Peru: 29.5 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Nigeria have 2.4 more children on average than in Peru.
Nigeria: 4.38 children per woman (2024) · Peru: 1.97 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
9.5% of people in Peru are 65 or older, versus 3.1% in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 3.1% (2025) · Peru: 9.5% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Peru has produced 0.3 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Nigeria 0.0.
Nigeria: 0 (2025) · Peru: 0.3 (2025)
How many official languages?
Peru has 3 official languages, Nigeria 1.
Nigeria: 1 (2026) · Peru: 3 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Peru’s economy is 15% larger than Nigeria’s.
Nigeria: $291 billion (2025) · Peru: $335 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Peru produces 2 times as much per person as Nigeria.
Nigeria: Int$9,532 (2025) · Peru: Int$18,816 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Peru than in Nigeria (Gini 6.2 points higher).
Nigeria: 33.9 (2022) · Peru: 40.1 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 5.1% in Peru, versus 3.1% in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 3.1% (2025) · Peru: 5.1% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Peru and Nigeria are practically level.
Nigeria: 0.6% (2024) · Peru: 0.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Peru’s price level (US = 100) is 4× Nigeria’s.
Nigeria: 13% (2025) · Peru: 51% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Peru spends 6.7 times as much on health per person as Nigeria.
Nigeria: $67 (2023) · Peru: $446 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Peru live 23 years longer than in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 54.6 years (2024) · Peru: 77.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Nigeria is 6.3 times as likely to die before turning one as in Peru.
Nigeria: 69.8 per 1,000 (2024) · Peru: 11 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Peru has 4.4 times as many doctors per person as Nigeria.
Nigeria: 0.4 per 1,000 (2023) · Peru: 1.7 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in Peru are obese, versus 12% in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 12.1% (2024) · Peru: 29.1% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
12% of adults in Peru smoke, versus 3.1% in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 3.1% (2024) · Peru: 12.4% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Peru rate their lives 1.19 points higher than in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 4.79 (2025) · Peru: 5.97 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Peru drink 2.3 times as much alcohol as in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 2 litres (2023) · Peru: 4.8 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Peru has 7.8 times as much meat per person as Nigeria.
Nigeria: 7.1 kg (2023) · Peru: 55.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Peru has 340 kcal more food per person per day than Nigeria.
Nigeria: 2,470 kcal (2023) · Peru: 2,811 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Peru put in 81 more hours a year than in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 2,062 hours (2023) · Peru: 2,143 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Peru went to school 2.6 years longer than in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 7.6 years (2023) · Peru: 10.2 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Peru welcomed 26 times as many tourists per resident as Nigeria (2019).
Nigeria: 0 (2024) · Peru: 0.06 (2022)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
82% of people in Peru are online, versus 41% in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 41% (2024) · Peru: 82% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
97% of people in Peru have electricity, versus 63% in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 62.5% (2024) · Peru: 96.5% (2024)
How many live in cities?
86% of people in Peru live in cities, versus 64% in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 64% (2025) · Peru: 86% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Peru has 125 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Nigeria 71.
Nigeria: 71 (2024) · Peru: 125 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Nigeria’s railway network is 90% longer than Peru’s.
Nigeria: 3,528 km (2015) · Peru: 1,854 km (2017)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Peru fly 23 times as many passengers per resident as those from Nigeria.
Nigeria: 0.02 (2023) · Peru: 0.51 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 56% of Peru, but only 23% of Nigeria.
Nigeria: 23.2% (2023) · Peru: 56.1% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Peru emits 3.5 times as much CO₂ as someone in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 0.6 t (2024) · Peru: 2.1 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
64% of Peru’s electricity is renewable, versus 31% in Nigeria.
Nigeria: 31.3% (2025) · Peru: 63.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Nigeria carries 81% more fine dust than in Peru.
Nigeria: 50 µg/m³ (2024) · Peru: 27.6 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 83% more likely to be murdered in Nigeria than in Peru.
Nigeria: 15.7 per 100k (2023) · Peru: 8.6 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Nigeria are 35% deadlier than in Peru.
Nigeria: 17.2 per 100k (2021) · Peru: 12.7 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Nigeria is on average 8.2 °C warmer than Peru.
Nigeria: 27.4°C (2016–2025 avg) · Peru: 19.2°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Peru gets 2.1 times as much rain as Nigeria.
Nigeria: 1,044 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Peru: 2,164 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Nigeria bigger than Peru?
Peru is larger. Peru is 39% bigger than Nigeria.
Which has more people, Nigeria or Peru?
Nigeria has 6.9 times as many people as Peru (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Nigeria or Peru?
People in Peru live 23 years longer than in Nigeria. Life expectancy at birth is 54.6 years in Nigeria and 77.9 in Peru.
Are people taller in Nigeria or Peru?
Men in Nigeria are 4.8 cm taller than in Peru (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
