Death rate in Nigeria
Nigeria: Death rate was 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
11.74 deaths per 1,000 people
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
26th
of 236 countries
All-time high
27.51 deaths per 1,000 people
in 1950
All-time low
11.74 deaths per 1,000 people
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Death rate in Nigeria, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 1,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for death rate in Nigeria is 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, death rate in Nigeria peaked at 27.51 deaths per 1,000 people in 1950 and was at its lowest, 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people, in 2023.
That places Nigeria 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Death rate in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | deaths per 1,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 27.51 deaths per 1,000 people | — |
| 1951 | 27.36 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1952 | 27.26 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1953 | 27.17 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1954 | 27.04 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1955 | 27.01 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1956 | 26.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1957 | 26.88 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1958 | 26.73 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1959 | 26.59 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1960 | 26.46 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1961 | 26.29 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1962 | 26.16 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1963 | 26.02 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 25.89 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 25.7 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1966 | 25.6 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1967 | 26.36 deaths per 1,000 people | +3.0% |
| 1968 | 25.3 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.0% |
| 1969 | 25.05 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 24.21 deaths per 1,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1971 | 23.75 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1972 | 23.23 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 22.8 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1974 | 22.32 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 21.91 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1976 | 21 deaths per 1,000 people | -4.1% |
| 1977 | 20.5 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 1978 | 20.12 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1979 | 19.78 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1980 | 19.53 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1981 | 19.2 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 19.03 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 19.03 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 18.94 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 18.93 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.0% |
| 1986 | 18.98 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 18.93 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.3% |
| 1988 | 18.89 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 18.85 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1990 | 18.86 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 18.97 deaths per 1,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1992 | 18.85 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 18.68 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 18.65 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 18.54 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 18.51 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 18.36 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 18.15 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 17.8 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 17.44 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 17.15 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 16.8 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 16.37 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 15.99 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 15.69 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 15.43 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 15.07 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 14.8 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 14.55 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 14.36 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 14.2 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 14.02 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 13.86 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 13.74 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 13.66 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 13.41 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 13.19 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 12.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 12.68 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 12.59 deaths per 1,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 12.31 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 11.95 deaths per 1,000 people | -2.9% |
| 2023 | 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people | -1.8% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.52 deaths per 1,000 people, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7.2 deaths per 1,000 people, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 27.05 deaths per 1,000 people | 26.59 deaths per 1,000 people | 27.51 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 25.88 deaths per 1,000 people | 25.05 deaths per 1,000 people | 26.46 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 21.96 deaths per 1,000 people | 19.78 deaths per 1,000 people | 24.21 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 19.03 deaths per 1,000 people | 18.85 deaths per 1,000 people | 19.53 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 18.54 deaths per 1,000 people | 17.8 deaths per 1,000 people | 18.97 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.93 deaths per 1,000 people | 14.55 deaths per 1,000 people | 17.44 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.61 deaths per 1,000 people | 12.68 deaths per 1,000 people | 14.36 deaths per 1,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.15 deaths per 1,000 people | 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people | 12.59 deaths per 1,000 people | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 23 Germany 12.23 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 24 Estonia 12.21 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 25 Georgia 11.84 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 27 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 11.5 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 28 Palau 11.49 deaths per 1,000 people compare
- 29 Montenegro 11.38 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)
- 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 death rate in Nigeria?
- Death rate in Nigeria was 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest death rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 27.51 deaths per 1,000 people in 1950.
- What is the lowest death rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.74 deaths per 1,000 people in 2023.
- How does Nigeria rank for death rate?
- Nigeria ranks 26th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is death rate rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of deaths in a year per 1,000 people in the population.