Annual death rates at different ages in Nigeria
Nigeria: Annual death rates at different ages was 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
73.33 deaths per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
2nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
182.53 deaths per 1,000 people
in 1950
All-time low
73.33 deaths per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Annual death rates at different ages in Nigeria, 1950–2023
Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual death rates at different ages in Nigeria is 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual death rates at different ages in Nigeria peaked at 182.53 deaths per 1,000 people in 1950 and was at its lowest, 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people, in 2023.
Nigeria ranks 2nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Annual death rates at different ages in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | deaths per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 182.53 deaths per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 181.67 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1952 | 180.81 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1953 | 179.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1954 | 179.11 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1955 | 178.27 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1956 | 177.44 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1957 | 176.59 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1958 | 175.71 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1959 | 174.78 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1960 | 173.81 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1961 | 172.81 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 171.79 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1963 | 170.8 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 169.84 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1965 | 168.91 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1966 | 168.01 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1967 | 168.57 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1968 | 164.26 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1969 | 162.66 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 160.76 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1971 | 158.59 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1972 | 156 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1973 | 153.47 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1974 | 150.75 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1975 | 147.97 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1976 | 142.19 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1977 | 139.23 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1978 | 136.57 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 134.26 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 132.57 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 130.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 129.98 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 129.35 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 129.15 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 129.12 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 129.27 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 129.47 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 129.63 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 129.67 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 129.58 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 129.56 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 128.98 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 128.37 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 127.52 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 126.4 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 125.01 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 123.24 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 121.17 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 118.93 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 116.25 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 113.59 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 110.76 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 107.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 105.19 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 102.45 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 99.91 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 97.59 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 95.52 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 93.69 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 92.1 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 90.7 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 89.48 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 88.37 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 87.43 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 86.39 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 85.19 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 83.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 82.51 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 80.85 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 79.09 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 77.23 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 75.27 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 30.44 deaths per 1,000 people, 2.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 38.59 deaths per 1,000 people, 1.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 178.69 deaths per 1,000 people | 174.78 deaths per 1,000 people | 182.53 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 169.15 deaths per 1,000 people | 162.66 deaths per 1,000 people | 173.81 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 147.98 deaths per 1,000 people | 134.26 deaths per 1,000 people | 160.76 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 129.91 deaths per 1,000 people | 129.12 deaths per 1,000 people | 132.57 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 125.88 deaths per 1,000 people | 118.93 deaths per 1,000 people | 129.58 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 104.29 deaths per 1,000 people | 93.69 deaths per 1,000 people | 116.25 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.7 deaths per 1,000 people | 80.85 deaths per 1,000 people | 92.1 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.23 deaths per 1,000 people | 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people | 79.09 deaths per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 1 Sierra Leone 75.54 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 3 Central African Republic 72.14 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 4 Somalia 69.83 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 5 Guinea 68.91 deaths per 1,000 people compare
More health data for Nigeria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8137 % change on previous year (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 257,921 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 14 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0711 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0729 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual death rates at different ages in Nigeria?
- Annual death rates at different ages in Nigeria was 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual death rates at different ages recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 182.53 deaths per 1,000 people in 1950.
- What is the lowest annual death rates at different ages recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.33 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Nigeria rank for annual death rates at different ages?
- Nigeria ranks 2nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual death rates at different ages rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual death rates at different ages. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Death rate, calculated as the number of deaths divided by the average number of people alive during the interval.