Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in Nigeria

Nigeria: Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method was 14.9% in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
14.9%
Change on year
up 41.9%
World rank
58th
of 62 countries
All-time high
15.1%
in 2016
All-time low
3.8%
in 1990
Years of data
13
1990–2021

Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in Nigeria, 1990–2021

57.51012.5151990200520211990: 3.8 % of all women ages 15-491994: 9.7 % of all women ages 15-491999: 7.4 % of all women ages 15-492003: 8.9 % of all women ages 15-492007: 11.1 % of all women ages 15-492008: 10.5 % of all women ages 15-492011: 12.5 % of all women ages 15-492012: 10.8 % of all women ages 15-492013: 11.1 % of all women ages 15-492016: 15.1 % of all women ages 15-492017: 9.5 % of all women ages 15-492018: 10.5 % of all women ages 15-492021: 14.9 % of all women ages 15-49

Source: Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division. Measured in % of all women ages 15-49.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 14.9% for contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in 2021.

That represents a change of up 41.9% on the previous year and up 18.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in Nigeria peaked at 15.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3.8%, in 1990.

That places Nigeria 58th out of 62 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.

Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method (% of all women ages 15-49) in Nigeria, 1990 to 2021.
Year % of all women ages 15-49 Change
1990 3.8%
1994 9.7% +155.3%
1999 7.4% -23.3%
2003 8.9% +19.6%
2007 11.1% +24.6%
2008 10.5% -5.3%
2011 12.5% +19.4%
2012 10.8% -14.1%
2013 11.1% +3.1%
2016 15.1% +36.2%
2017 9.5% -37.0%
2018 10.5% +10.2%
2021 14.9% +41.9%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 14.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 28.3%, 53% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 14.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 24.4%, 61% of the median. (28 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.0% 3.8% 9.7% 3
2000s 10.2% 8.9% 11.1% 3
2010s 11.6% 9.5% 15.1% 6
2020s 14.9% 14.9% 14.9% 1

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 55 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 16.1% compare
  2. 56 Mali 15.4% compare
  3. 57 Benin 15.1% compare
  4. 59 Burundi 14.6% compare
  5. 60 Gambia 12.2% compare
  6. 61 Guinea 11.4% compare

See the full ranking of 62 places →

More health data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in Nigeria?
Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in Nigeria was 14.9% in 2021, according to Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division.
What is the highest contraceptive prevalence, any modern method recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 15.1% in 2016.
What is the lowest contraceptive prevalence, any modern method recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 3.8% in 1990.
How does Nigeria rank for contraceptive prevalence, any modern method?
Nigeria ranks 58th out of 62 countries with data for 2021.
Is contraceptive prevalence, any modern method rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division, published as part of Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method (% of all women ages 15-49). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/contraceptive-prevalence-any-modern-method-percent-of-all-women-ages-15-49/nigeria/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/contraceptive-prevalence-any-modern-method-percent-of-all-women-ages-15-49/nigeria/">Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method in Nigeria</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method (% of all women ages 15-49)
Unit
% of all women ages 15-49
Source
Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
62 places, 489 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method is the percentage of all women ages 15-49 who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, at least one modern method of contraception. Modern methods of contraception include female and male sterilization, oral hormonal pills, the intra-uterine device (IUD), the male condom, injectables, the implant (including Norplant), vaginal barrier methods, the female condom and emergency contraception.