Nigeria has emerged as the world’s most congested nation, according to the 2025 Traffic Index released by Numbeo, underscoring the growing strain of gridlock on productivity, quality of life, and the environment in the country’s urban centres.
The index, which blends commute times, wasted hours in traffic, transport inefficiency, and carbon emissions, paints a grim picture of the daily struggles faced by road users. It highlights how gridlock in countries with fast-growing populations has gone beyond occasional inconvenience to become a defining feature of urban life.
In Nigeria, the cost of moving from one point to another has reached global highs, with traffic jams in major cities such as Lagos and Abuja increasingly eroding work hours, raising stress levels, and worsening already dangerous levels of pollution. The report warns that congestion is now among the most visible strains on modern urban living, hitting both economic productivity and citizens’ wellbeing.
“Gridlock is no longer just about being late for appointments. It is draining productivity, diminishing quality of life, and adding to unsustainable carbon emissions,” the report noted.
The 2025 index also placed other populous nations such as Colombia, India, and the Philippines among the top 10 most gridlocked countries. Colombia, ranked tenth with a traffic index score of 198.0, faces major bottlenecks in Bogotá where commutes average 46.7 minutes, while even Medellín’s metro system struggles to absorb growing demand.
The findings highlight shared patterns across the world’s most congested nations: rapid urban growth outpacing infrastructure, weak mass transit systems, and surging car ownership contributing to hours wasted on the road.
For Nigeria, the top ranking reinforces calls from urban planners, policymakers, and environmental advocates for urgent investment in public transportation, smarter traffic management systems, and greener mobility solutions. Without bold reforms, the report suggests, congestion will continue to weigh heavily on both the economy and daily life.
