Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Niger: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna grade (MCD, ranked #183 of 195).
Niger — in Western Africa, southeast of Algeria. Political status: formerly, semi-presidential republic. The country's capital is Niamey; it covers 1.267 million sq km. Independence: 3 August 1960 (from France). Terrain: predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north. Climate: desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south. Population: 27.3 million (2025 estimate). Population growth: +3.65% per year. Median age: 15.3 years. Life expectancy: 60.9 years (2024 est.). Languages: Hausa, Zarma, French (official), Fufulde, Tamashek, Kanuri, Gurmancema, Tagdal Religions: Muslim 95.5%, ethnic religionist 4.1%, Christian 0.3%, agnostics and othe…
| Capital | Niamey |
|---|---|
| Population | 27,322,555 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $47.921 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $1,800 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 8.4% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 9.1% |
| Unemployment | 0.4% |
| Public debt | 45.2% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $1.223 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $3.808 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 60.9 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 15.3 |
| Urbanization | 17.1% of total population (2023) |
| Government | formerly, semi-presidential republic |
| Independence | 3 August 1960 (from France) |
| Languages | Hausa, Zarma, French (official), Fufulde, Tamashek, Kanuri, Gurmancema, Tagdal |
MCD · 34/100 — The Magna grade is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — five dimensions, 100+ indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
Jul–Sep 2026 came and went without leaving a mark on the country's trajectory. Continuity, not change, is the story.
For a small or mid-sized state, that is often the good outcome: no shock to absorb, no crisis to manage.
Uranium, Coal, Iron ore, Tin, Phosphates, Gold, Molybdenum, Gypsum, Salt, Oil.
Abdourahamane Tiani — Transitional President. President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) General Abdourahame TIANI (since 28 July 2023)
Niger maintains 30 embassies and 5 consulates abroad, hosts 25 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 30 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 5 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 25 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Landlocked — no seacoast; exports move through transit corridors across neighbouring countries. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 26 (registration prefix 5U) |
Diori Hamani International Airport (NIM) — Niamey; Zinder Airport (ZND) — Zinder.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | semi-presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
MCD · 34 Ranked #183 of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Niger.
