Lagos has a very diverse and fast-growing population, resulting from heavy and ongoing migration to the city from all parts of Nigeria as well as neighboring countries. In 1992 Lagos had an estimated population of about 1,347,000. The population of its metropolitan area was about 10.9 million in 1996. The United Nations predicts that the city's metropolitan area, which had only about 290,000 inhabitants in 1950, will exceed 20 million by 2010, making Lagos one of the world's five largest cities.
The Yoruba, an African people inhabiting southwest Nigeria, constitute the city's principal ethnic group. English is the most commonly used language, but Yoruba and other Nigerian languages are also spoken.
