Child mortality in Nigeria
Nigeria: Child mortality was 11.56 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
11.56 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
1st
of 203 countries
All-time high
43.85 deaths per 100 live births
in 1800
All-time low
11.56 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
225
1800–2024
Child mortality in Nigeria, 1800–2024
Source: Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
In 2024, child mortality in Nigeria stood at 11.56 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 225 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality in Nigeria peaked at 43.85 deaths per 100 live births in 1800 and was at its lowest, 11.56 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
That places Nigeria 1st out of 203 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 225 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1800s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1810s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1820s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1830s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1840s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1850s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1860s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1870s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1880s | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1890s | 43.83 deaths per 100 live births | 43.78 deaths per 100 live births | 43.85 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1900s | 43.5 deaths per 100 live births | 43.17 deaths per 100 live births | 43.75 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1910s | 42.61 deaths per 100 live births | 42.15 deaths per 100 live births | 43.07 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1920s | 41.58 deaths per 100 live births | 41.12 deaths per 100 live births | 42.05 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1930s | 40.55 deaths per 100 live births | 40.09 deaths per 100 live births | 41.02 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1940s | 38.83 deaths per 100 live births | 36.39 deaths per 100 live births | 39.99 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1950s | 35.12 deaths per 100 live births | 34.28 deaths per 100 live births | 35.62 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1960s | 34.06 deaths per 100 live births | 30.54 deaths per 100 live births | 40.68 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 25.91 deaths per 100 live births | 21.71 deaths per 100 live births | 38.74 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 20.82 deaths per 100 live births | 20.66 deaths per 100 live births | 21.29 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 19.94 deaths per 100 live births | 18.36 deaths per 100 live births | 20.76 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.05 deaths per 100 live births | 12.92 deaths per 100 live births | 17.73 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.97 deaths per 100 live births | 11.72 deaths per 100 live births | 12.63 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.7 deaths per 100 live births | 11.56 deaths per 100 live births | 11.76 deaths per 100 live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More health data for Nigeria
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,301 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 257,921 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 726 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 726 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 2.03 million (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 1.96 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 2.13 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 2.06 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 2.23 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 2.15 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality in Nigeria?
- Child mortality in Nigeria was 11.56 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest child mortality recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 43.85 deaths per 100 live births in 1800.
- What is the lowest child mortality recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.56 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Nigeria rank for child mortality?
- Nigeria ranks 1st out of 203 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Gapminder (2015); UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Child mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.