Child mortality rate in Nigeria
Nigeria: Child mortality rate 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 200 countries
All-time high
40.68 deaths per 100 live births
in 1968
All-time low
11.56 deaths per 100 live births
in 2024
Years of data
63
1962–2024
Child mortality rate in Nigeria, 1962–2024
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 rate in Nigeria stood at 11.56 deaths per 100 live births. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, child mortality rate in Nigeria peaked at 40.68 deaths per 100 live births in 1968 and was at its lowest, 11.56 deaths per 100 live births, in 2024.
Nigeria ranks 1st of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Child mortality rate in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 31.33 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1963 | 31.13 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 32.57 deaths per 100 live births | +4.6% |
| 1965 | 31.88 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 31.21 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 30.54 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 40.68 deaths per 100 live births | +33.2% |
| 1969 | 39.72 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 38.74 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1971 | 27.63 deaths per 100 live births | -28.7% |
| 1972 | 26.8 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1973 | 25.98 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1974 | 25.15 deaths per 100 live births | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 24.33 deaths per 100 live births | -3.3% |
| 1976 | 23.58 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 22.88 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 22.26 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 21.71 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 21.29 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 20.97 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 20.77 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 20.67 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 20.66 deaths per 100 live births | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 20.69 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 20.75 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 20.8 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 20.82 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 20.8 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 20.76 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 20.67 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 20.57 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 20.46 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 20.31 deaths per 100 live births | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 20.1 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 19.81 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 19.43 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 18.94 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 18.36 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 17.73 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 17.05 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 16.39 deaths per 100 live births | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 15.74 deaths per 100 live births | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 15.14 deaths per 100 live births | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 14.58 deaths per 100 live births | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 14.09 deaths per 100 live births | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 13.65 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 13.25 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 12.92 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 12.63 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 12.38 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 12.16 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 11.99 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 11.87 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 11.78 deaths per 100 live births | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 11.74 deaths per 100 live births | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 11.72 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 11.72 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 11.74 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 11.74 deaths per 100 live births | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 11.76 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 11.75 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 11.68 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 11.56 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 11.56 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.69 deaths per 100 live births, 3.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 11.56 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.89 deaths per 100 live births, 2.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Child mortality rate in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | +33.2% | 30.54 deaths per 100 live births | 40.68 deaths per 100 live births |
| 1971 | -28.7% | 38.74 deaths per 100 live births | 27.63 deaths per 100 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 33.63 deaths per 100 live births | 30.54 deaths per 100 live births | 40.68 deaths per 100 live births | 8 |
| 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
- 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)
- 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)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is child mortality rate in Nigeria?
- Child mortality rate 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 rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 40.68 deaths per 100 live births in 1968.
- What is the lowest child mortality rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.56 deaths per 100 live births in 2024.
- How does Nigeria rank for child mortality rate?
- Nigeria ranks 1st out of 200 countries with data for 2024.
- Is child mortality rate 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 rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Long-run estimated share of newborns who die before reaching the age of five.