Although Lagos State is the smallest State in Nigeria, yet it has the
highest Population, which is over fiver percent of the national estimate.
According to the 1991national census, the State has a population of
5.725,166 out a national estimate of 88,992,220. However, the
preliminary result of 2006 census show that Lagos State has now
17.552,942 inhabitant out of national total of 148 million. This is
nonetheless less than what was anticipated. Authorities of Lagos State
have consequently attacked the results of the 2006 census,
accusing the National Population Commission of having undercounted   the population of Lagos State, an accusation strongly denied by the National Population Commission.

The rate of population growth is about 300,000 persons per annum with
with a population density of 2,594 persons per sq.kilometer. In the
urban area of Metropolitan Lagos, the average density is 8,000 persons
per square kilometer on average (up to 55,000 inh. per sq.km in the
densest part of the urban area). In a UN study of 1999, the city of Lagos
was expected to hit the 24,5 million population mark by the year 2015
and thus be among the ten most populous cities in the world.